The Dark Side of Success
"So, Charlie, do you know what happened to the boy who suddenly got everything he ever wanted?" asked Mr Wonka, ominously in the movie Mr Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Gene Wilder version).
"What?" asked Charlie, a little anxiously.
"He lived happily after," said Mr Wonka.
But what really does happen to people who suddenly get everything they ever wanted?
It is rare in life to hear of people who live "happily ever after" once they have achieved great success. On the contrary, great success is sometimes accompanied by a spectacular downfall.
People tend to equate success with fame and wealth. But so many talented people who have achieved fame and wealth both in the past and in today's society have been depressed or have developed addictions because fame and wealth have not lived up to their expectations or met their needs.
A lot of young people these days say, "I want to be famous" without having any idea what they want to be famous for. And it's quite easy to get famous today in the world of Reality TV. It is even easier to become infamous.
Keira Knightley is considering quitting acting because she finds fame too intrusive.
Britney Spears is recovering from a very public meltdown.
It begs the question: why would anyone want to be successful?
It doesn't only happen to celebrities. You may land the dream job you always thought you wanted. And things go well at first. But after the initial celebration when you settle down into your new life, you think - "What now?" or "There's got to be something more to life than this".
That is why important to know WHY you want to achieve what you want to achieve so that when you get it, you don't think, "Is this it? Why did I want this?"
Once you achieve and manifest a goal, toast your achievement, celebrate, maybe have a rest - and then create another goal. It could be a completely different kind of goal, in another sphere of interest entirely. If you have achieved a financial goal, you may want to create a goal which enables you to help others or your new goal may be to downshift or create a better quality of life.
"Be careful what you wish for" has always been a scary phrase for me. Looking at the purpose of our wishes is a helpful way to avoid meeting the dark side of success.
