It’s been a few weeks since the untimely and unfortunate loss of NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his beautiful daughter GiGi. There’s been lots of emotions and opinions in regards to the loss, both popular and unpopular. Conspiracy theories clogged the internet waves and upset a large number of people. There was plenty of grief and there were plenty of people who acted like they just didn’t get it. So many trying to find a way to cope with the loss of a hero and many trying to troll every R.I.P. post.

But what did we LEARN from Kobe’s life and death? Even in loss we don’t ever really lose if we take a valuable lesson from the experience. Here’s my thoughts on what we had an opportunity to gain from this sad situation:

1) Everyone makes mistakes and deserves a chance to redeem themselves. We all mess up and do things we shouldn’t, and we have to deal with the consequences. But how long is too long when it comes to bringing up people’s indiscretions and shortcomings? We are ALL far less than perfect and we have a chance to make things right and redeem ourselves then why do people make it so hard to do that? Why do people get a kick out of trying to keep people down with their past?

2) Be mindful of the kind of legacy and impact we making while we are here. Each day is a chance to do something bigger and greater than the day before. Are we doing that? All too often we want to give people their praise and tell them how much they mean to us when it’s too late. We fail to seize the opportunity to show love while people are amongst us…and we also fail to fully appreciate the value of life while we are here. Everyday we should be making a conscious effort and giving intentional though to what we are doing on this earth and with this one life we have. If you were to die today, what would folks say about you? Would the life you have lived be motivation to others?

It shouldn’t take tragedy to motivate us to triumph…but often that’s exactly what it takes. Let’s focus on making every moment count and doing everything we can to achieve the goals we have set and leave a legacy we can be proud of. Like Nipsey, like Kobe…don’t let our pasts taint and distract us from our passions and our purpose.