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Your mind is yours to change.

“No matter what, people are going to like you or not like you. So be authentic, and let them like you or not for who you actually are.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 78)

“Coaches are teachers. Some coaches—lesser coaches—try telling you things. Good coaches, however, teach you how to think and arm you with the fundamental tools necessary to execute properly. Simply put, good coaches make sure you know how to use both hands, how to make proper reads, how to understand the game. Good coaches tell you where the fish are, great coaches teach you how to find them. That’s the same at every level.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 62)

“You have to work hard in the dark to shine in the light. Meaning: It takes a lot of work to be successful, and people will celebrate that success, will celebrate that flash and hype. Behind that hype, though, is dedication, focus, and seriousness—all of which outsiders will never see. If you stop being dedicated to the craft, the commercials and contracts will all fade away.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 59)

Andy Andrews Quote on Leadership and How To Properly Influence Others To Keep Moving Forward

“It is never the duty of a leader to struggle for someone else; a leader must encourage others to struggle and assure them that the struggles are worthwhile. Do battle with the challenges of your present, and you will unlock the prizes of your future.”
Andy Andrews, The Traveler’s Gift

Beyond the Quote (219/365)

I repeat: It is never the duty of a leader to struggle for someone else. Nor is it their duty to take the struggle away from, to suffer the pain for, or to handle challenges that someone else is facing. A leader needs to live their own life as much as the follower needs to live theirs. But even more importantly, it is the duty of the leader to lead the follower to a better place—and doing the work for them doesn’t get them there. If anything, it handicaps them and makes them more vulnerable to the future rather than more resilient.

“So long as I can laugh never will I be poor. This, then, is one of nature’s greatest gifts, and I will waste it no more. Only with laughter and happiness can I truly become a success. Only with laughter and happiness can I enjoy the fruits of my labor. Were it not so, far better would it be to fail, for happiness is the wine that sharpens the taste of the meal. To enjoy success I must have happiness, and laughter will be the maiden who serves me.”
Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World

Beyond the Quote (218/365)

Laughter and happiness isn’t something that you save for later. Nor is it something that you should have to pay for or have to work to achieve. It’s not hidden in some exotic destination. And it’s not found in a designer store nor is it unlocked with a blue checkmark on a social platform. Laughter and happiness is, as Mandino points out above, “one of nature’s greatest gifts.” It’s a gift that has already been given to you. It is given to everyone at birth. You can access it at any time. If you can’t access or unlock this gift, it isn’t because it isn’t there, it’s because you have become confused or have misplaced or forgotten about it.

“My routine was grueling. It involved early mornings and late nights. It involved stretching, lifting, training, hooping, recovery, and film study. It involved putting in a lot of work and hours. It’s—no lie—tiring. For that reason, a lot of players pare down their lifting and training during the season. They try conserving their energy. Not me, though. I found that, yes, this work might be strenuous on the day-to-day, but it left me stronger and more prepared during the dog days of the season and the playoffs.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 42)

Beyond the Quote (217/365)

Not everybody needs to maintain a grueling routine like Kobe did. After all, not all of us are competing in professional sporting events against some of the most intense competition in the world. But, there’s an underlying key mindset here that does apply to us all: Don’t make sacrifices on your routine merely for the sake of conserving energy. Let’s take a closer look.

“I was curious. I wanted to improve, learn, and fill my head with the history of the game. No matter who I was with—a coach, hall of famer, teammate—and no matter the situation—game, practice, vacation—I would fire away with question after question. A lot of people appreciated my curiosity and passion. They appreciated that I wasn’t just asking to ask, I was genuinely thirsty to hear their answers and glean new info. Some people, meanwhile, were less understanding and gracious. That was fine with me. My approach always was that I’d rather risk embarrassment now than be embarrassed later, when I’ve won zero titles.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 40)

“There’s a fine balance between obsessing about your craft and being there for your family. It’s akin to walking a tightrope. Your legs are shaky and you’re trying to find your center. Whenever you lean too far in one direction, you correct your course and end up overleaning in the other direction. So, you correct by leaning the other way again. That’s the dance. You can’t achieve greatness by walking a straight line.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 33)

“Greatness isn’t easy to achieve. It requires a lot of time, a lot of sacrifices. It requires a lot of tough choices. It requires your loved ones to sacrifice, too, so you have to have an understanding circle of family and friends. People don’t always understand just how much effort from how many people goes into one person chasing a dream to be great.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 33)

“If you really want to be great at something, you have to truly care about it. If you want to be great in a particular area, you have to obsess over it. A lot of people say they want to be great, but they’re not willing to make the sacrifices necessary to achieve greatness. They have other concerns, whether important or not, and they spread themselves out. That’s totally fine. After all, greatness is not for everybody.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 33)

“The only way I was able to pick up details on the court, to be aware of the minutiae on the hardwood, was by training my mind to do that off the court and focusing on every detail in my daily life. By reading, by paying attention in class and in practice, by working, I strengthened my focus. By doing all of that, I strengthened my ability to be present and not have a wandering mind.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 29)

“If something has worked for other greats before you, and if something is working for you, why change it up and embrace some new fad? Stick with what works, even if it’s unpopular.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 25)

An Argument For Art — And Why You Should Be Creating With Every Opportunity You Get

Excerpt: Think about everything that has to happen before you even get to consider creating something. It’s a miracle that art is a thought for you…

“From the beginning, I wanted to be the best. I had a constant craving, a yearning, to improve and be the best. I never needed any external forces to motivate me.”
Kobe Bryant, Mamba Mentality (Page 22)

The Mamba Mentality [Book]

By: Kobe Bryant

From this Book: 24 Quotes

Book Overview: In the wake of his retirement from professional basketball, Kobe “The Black Mamba” Bryant decided to share his vast knowledge and understanding of the game to take readers on an unprecedented journey to the core of the legendary “Mamba mentality.” Citing an obligation and an opportunity to teach young players, hardcore fans, and devoted students of the game how to play it “the right way,” The Mamba Mentality takes us inside the mind of one of the most intelligent, analytical, and creative basketball players ever. In his own words, Bryant reveals his famously detailed approach and the steps he took to prepare mentally and physically to not just succeed at the game, but to excel. Readers will learn how Bryant studied an opponent, how he channeled his passion for the game, how he played through injuries. They’ll also get fascinating granular detail as he breaks down specific plays and match-ups from throughout his career.

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Post(s) Inspired by This Book:

24 Motivating Kobe Bryant Quotes from The Mamba Mentality on Work Ethic, Mindset, and Greatness
Kobe Bryant Quote on Keeping Calm and Centered in Basketball and in Life (Beyond the Quote 226/365)
Kobe Bryant Quote on Work Ethic and How He Stuck To His Routine Even On The Busiest Days (Beyond the Quote 217/365)

Kevin Kelly Quote on Habits and What Their Purpose Is In Our Lives

“The purpose of a habit is to remove that action from self-negotiation. You no longer expend energy deciding whether to do it. You just do it. Good habits can range from telling the truth, to flossing.”
Kevin Kelly, Blog

Beyond the Quote (215/365)

When you get a look at a day in the life of a high performing individual it can leave you feeling dumbfounded. I’m sure you’ve found yourself wondering, like me, how on earth they do so much in one day? What’s their secret? Is it something in their nature? Is it a learned skill? Is it 10 coffees?And while, for some, it might involve 10 coffees, the underlying secret that helps all high performing individuals perform to the best of their ability is their habits.

“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.”
John Joseph Powell, The Secret of Staying in Love

Beyond the Quote (214/365)

Mirrors allow us to see our external self. Human interaction allows us to see our internal self. Without mirrors, we wouldn’t be able to truly know how we looked. We can get a sense of how we look and we might be able to guess, but it is only through the reflection of a mirror that we can ever be sure. Without human interaction, how might we ever truly grasp the content of our character?

11 Important J. Keith Murnighan Quotes from Do Nothing! on Leadership and Management

Excerpt: “Doing nothing” is about learning how to stop micromanaging. Read our 11 quotes from Do Nothing! and learn how important this idea really is…

“If a decision is reversible, the biggest risk is moving too slow. If a decision is irreversible, the biggest risk is moving too fast.”
James Clear, Blog

Beyond the Quote (212/365)

Let’s start by figuring out which types of decisions are which. Not going to college, for example, is a decision that can easily be reversed. You can always go back to college at a later point in time. Going to college and getting a degree in something that you aren’t passionate about or uninterested in pursuing is a decision that is irreversible. Quickly committing to college when you’re unsure, undecided, or confused about your path is a big risk. Especially if the college you’re committing quickly to has a high tuition cost.