The Photo Every Writer Needs to See

I’m traveling for a family wedding, and at the airport, I saw something that stopped me in my tracks.

• No, I’m not talking about the couple confidently rocking matching electric blue hair (bold choice, but I respect it).

• No, I’m not talking about the 80% of middle-aged men in business suits (Thursday flights to Houston, TX will do that).

I’m talking about this little gem:

The year was 1999. John wasn’t a star. Barely saw playing time. Averaged two points a game (tough break).

But he prided himself on being the first one in the gym.

He couldn’t control whether the coach put him in. He couldn’t control how talented his teammates were or what opportunities came his way.

But he could control his work ethic.

So every morning, he showed up first.

Except there was one problem. . .

. . .is teammate was Kobe Bryant.

So John started coming even earlier.

But Kobe was still there earlier.

This continued morning after morning after morning. Until a pre-season game in 1999 when Kobe broke his wrist.

John, in a moment of brutal honesty, admitted: "I am ashamed to say that I was excited the day after his injury…"

Can’t blame the guy. He saw an opportunity. Maybe, finally, he’d be the first one in the gym.

He was giddy the morning after. He laced up his sneakers, grabbed his ball, and walked into the gym.

bounce…bounce…no

bounce…bounce…bounce…no

bounce…no…bounce…no

no…no…no

That’s where the photo on the shirt came from:

Take a look at that photo again.

Full sweat. Pajamas under the uniform. Cast on the dominant hand.

That’s the difference between good and great.

The excuses were right there for him — served up like a charcuterie board at a family gathering. Grab and go. Nobody would blame him.

But Kobe refused.

And isn’t that the same battle we fight as writers?

It’s easy to quit when the words won’t come. When the story feels like a mess. When rejections pile up.

Nobody is breathing down your neck. You could just walk away.

But the ones who make it — the ones who finish their books, build their businesses, and change lives — are the ones who refuse to quit.

• They write when it’s hard.

• They revise when they’d rather start something new.

• They show up, day after day, because the love of the craft outweighs the pain of the process.

The excuses will always be there.

But so is the choice: is it a reason to quit or a reason to keep going?

Keep writing. The world needs your story.

Write on 🤙

Payton “average colored hair” Minzenmayer

P.S. The longer I run Christian Story Lab, the more incredible people I meet — entrepreneurs building businesses while staying true to their faith. Balancing success with integrity, both in and out of the office, isn’t easy. That’s why I put together this free resource to help: The Christian Entrepreneur’s Playbook.