Thoughts From A Key Player

Justin Najmy

When an opportunity presents itself, one must take the previous work and preparation, and capitalize. Sometimes a journey becomes so long, that one forgets what that final destination is. In other cases, that person may lack the necessary pit stop as a checkpoint prior to the final destination.

I live by the words of Kobe Bean Bryant, who would frequently leverage Ralph Waldo Emerson’s quote, “It’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” Nonetheless, as much as I live by those words, without the destination, there would be no journey. Thus, the destination is the validation needed to demonstrate whether or not you took the right road. Less metaphorically speaking, it’s an indication of whether or not you put in the proper work. 

We live in an ultra-competitive world. We’re required to compete with not only people from different states, but also with people from around the world. Frightening, yes, but that is the beauty of it. This leads to another Kobe-ism, which was that he used to get butterflies before every game — even after winning championships and MVPs. He later explained that this demonstrated that he cared so much, even if it was just another regular season game. Consequently, because he cared so much, he knew he put in the required work to perform at the level he strove for. 

Thus, as I travel on the road to my destination, or the pit stop on the road to my final chapter, I look to Kobe, as I usually do. I embrace the nerves, as I realize this means I truly care, and because I care, I know I have prepared, which will allow me to exhibit my abilities and capitalize on the opportunity.

Justin Najmy

UM LAW Graduate 2022, Aspiring Trust and Estate Lawyer, Avid Learner, Idea Challenger, First Principle-Based Believer