In tragedy, opportunity
Remembering Kobe Bryant, grandma, politics, training animals and humans, and sunsets
Hi friend,
This Sunday, the whole world realized that Kobe Bryant had passed away. Within an hour of his plane crashing, TMZ had reported his death, and within minutes, it had taken over social media like a storm.
Regardless of however much money, fame, or respect we have, we are subject to the same laws of mortality as each other. There is no way to escape or cheat death. It will come, whether we're expecting it or not.
(Image by Gytis Jonaitis)
As a culture, we have become addicted to the next big headline. LAPD scolded TMZ for their instantaneous reporting of Kobe's death. But the ones to blame are not TMZ. We also need to scrutinize the readers that create the demand for this reporting. Vanessa Bryant and her children should not have found out that her partner and child passed away from the tabloids. This media is extremely hurtful and disrespectful.
It has been interesting to read about the impact that Kobe Bryant has had on people, from inspiring singers to opening up the conversation of rape. While I stand for anyone who wants to take this opportunity to speak out about sexual assault and violence, his daughter that died in the crash (as well as his remaining wife and two daughters) deserves our whole time, respect, and love.
With that said, in light of this tragic event, we are also given an opportunity to be more introspective - to reassess our values and acknowledge that nothing is ever guaranteed. For Kobe, he had retired only four years ago (2016) and left the earth at a young age of 41.
What is something you are grateful for?
What is something you have always put off doing?
What is something you can change this year?
This might just be the time. We never know what the future will bring.
On women’s rights
A nana I'm enjoying
If you liked Li Ziqi, you'll also love Doña Angela. In just four months, this grandma from Mexico has amassed 2.4M followers on YouTube, captivating audiences with her traditional Mexican dishes cooked in her outdoor kitchen, using ingredients fresh from her garden.
A political journalist I'm enjoying
I don't really share political journalists, but I absolutely love to the ones who make me think. A lot. Kim Iversen is a talk show host and journalist that started her own channel last year. Previously, she hosted shows about love, news, relationships, psychology, but I think she found her sweet spot in politics. It's pretty incredible.
You can also catch Kim Iversen on Apple podcasts.
A book I'm enjoying
Just finished reading this book a few weeks ago, and it has become one of my all-time favorites in human psychology.
Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor is a book on animal training, but for humans. There are so many things we can learn from our animal friends, including how to build habits, reinforce behavior, and inspire motivation. Adjusting our habits is really no different than training a puppy.
As always, thanks for reading!
P.S. If you enjoyed this, share or sign up here: mindfulmoments.substack.com
Anything else? You can always hit "reply" to email me directly. 💌
Have a beautiful day!
Metta (loving-kindness),
Steven
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