I was gonna answer the question straight-up but thought of a more creative way. I’ll refer to two older basketball films, Coach Carter and Finding Forrester. Both are my personal favourites. I’ve explored the latter in my thick memoir. Before he conks out, the reclusive writer, William Forrester, pens his understudy a letter. Jamal reads it while mourning his sempai. Since I’ve seen the picture a few times, I can remember William’s note almost word for word. Here it is:

Dear Jamal,

Someone I once knew wrote that we walk away from our dreams, afraid we may fail. Or, worse yet, afraid we may succeed. While I knew so very early on that you will realise your dreams, I never imagined that I would once again realise my own. Seasons change, young man. While I may have waited until the winter of my life to see the things I’ve seen this past year, there is no doubt that I would’ve waited too long had it not been for you.

Carter quote

I Googled the Carter quote as I only saw the DVD once, ages ago.

‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. You playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine as children do. It’s not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our lights shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. – Marianne Williamson, ‘Our Deepest Fear’

Fear Strait

Both passages foreground how you should ‘face your fears’. In order to overcome our challenges, we must tackle them head-on. Unto every person some adversity will present itself. We must not shirk from our weaknesses but best our hurdles. Coach Carter asked his guard, ‘what is your deepest fear?’

The dude was lost for words. He thought it was a simple question, but realised Carter ran deep. There was much more to it than meets the eye. Carter wanted his team to do well academically. He willed them to understand that the present in hoops may be nice, but a bright future is what matters more. He suspends his undefeated squad after they took their studies for granted. This causes an outrage across the country but Carter held his ground. His team was better off after they listened to him. He found them studying instead of joking around. His concern for their welfare made a real difference.

Incidentally, Rob Brown is in both movies. He played Jamal in Forrester and Kenyon in Coach Carter. In the former, he’s paired with Anna Paquin. In the latter, Ashanti is his love interest. Forrester, directed by Gus van Sant, was his movie debut. He had no prior acting experience. He learned about the film from a flier in his high school. Samuel L Jackson is the titular coach. Channing Tatum makes his screen debut.

Sempai

Conquering your fears does not mean summiting Everest, though you could do that if you so choose. William had become agoraphobic. He wore a disguise when Jamal took him to a Knicks game. He spent a lifetime bottling up his emotions and hiding his manuscripts. In his last years, he let Jamal into his world. He proofread his essays and taught him how to really write. While William educates Jamal, the latter allows him to appreciate life’s energies more. Jamal shows William that being spontaneous and vibrant aren’t unhealthy. Forrester imparted his process and revealed how to woo a girl. He signs a copy of his book, which Jamal proffers to Claire (Paquin). ‘The key to a woman’s heart is an unexpected gift at an unexpected time.’

Epiphany

Sharing one’s wealth can bring you happiness and good vibes. In the 1800s, George Rockefeller was 53 and his days were numbered. As the world’s richest man, he had built an oil empire. He decided to donate his wealth to good causes and scientific research. Because of his philantropy, he lived till age 97. In Monsters Inc, Mike K learned that humour is a better endgame than scaring the kids.

Meanwhile, the entire roster was against perusing their textbooks and preparing for exams. It took failure and Coach’s forfeiting of games for the lesson to finally sink in. Previously, their most dreaded nightmare was being unable to play ball. They neeeded the games for an ego boost. Not just to win but to embarass their opponents. Yes, they were unbeatable but not in the right manner, Next on the dubious catalogue was being stuck in a classroom. They’d be surprised to learn that, with a little dedication, reading ain’t so bad. Sometimes, it takes navigating your worst nightmare to bring out the best in you. The sooner you battle your worries, the more rewarding it would be.