So committed others call you crazy. This is your daily message from Chad number 590 and this message is dedicated to the memory of Kobe Bryant.

Today is the anniversary of the death of Kobe Bryant in 2020. Along with his 13 year old daughter Gigi and seven others, he died in a helicopter crash due to the weather conditions. Bryant had a 20-year career in the NBA, being drafted out of high school.

His work ethic was legendary. There are multiple stories of interactions in which he was labeled crazy. His dedication, routines, and competitiveness were out of the ordinary. 

I can’t remember where I heard this story and I may not have the details correct. The team was on the road and he came to the arena early in the morning, around 4 o’clock, to practice. I believe the game was in Detroit. The only person there was a security guard. There was only one problem, the security guard didn’t know how to turn on the court lights. There was a janitor who knew how to switch them on, but wouldn’t arrive for a few hours. 

The security guard said the only light he had was his desk lamp. Kobe said that would work. He found an extension cord and by the dim light of a desk lamp in the huge arena practiced his drills until the janitor arrived. An obstacle like not being able to see well was not going to keep Kobe from his practice.

Are you so dedicated to something that you will overcome any obstacle? Is your commitment at a level that others call you crazy?

In 1996 Apple had an ad campaign called Think Different. You may remember it. Here’s the copy: 

Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

But the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6zHxGydO15Yo4X7htNY7o7?si=53-BrPWLRha8_aedJIJgTA