Everyone wants to accomplish great things in their lives. Often there are setbacks to navigate, disappointments to work through, and obstacles to overcome but we keep reaching. There is so much good in this exercise and many wonderful things are produced in the pursuit; both tangible and intangible. However, like any good endeavor, if we take it to an extreme and lose sight of the big picture we run the risk of climbing a ladder that is ultimately leaning against the wrong building. Can success be a failure? Is it possible that reaching the mountain peak can send you off the edge of a precipice? As strange as it may sound, is success killing you?
What if I told you the least visited nation in the world today was the second wealthiest nation on Earth back in 1975? The Island nation of Nauru situated in the South Pacific Ocean was the second richest nation on earth, per capita, only 50 years ago. How is it that possible when you’ve likely never heard of the place? It’s a long story but a country of only around 7,000 inhabitants skyrocketed to fame and prosperity in the mid-seventies due to its rich phosphate deposits and its ability to mine and export those valuable goods. At its hight, Nauru’s GDP was equalling $357,142.86 per person, per year! Today, it is the least visited nation on the planet, is the most obese nation per capita with the highest rate of diabetes in the world, and is struggling to find a new identity. So what happened? Success happened. (Click Here To Read My Post, “What You Focus On Draws You In”)
Winning the Losing Game
Few things in life will test you like success. While we often think of trouble and hardship as being the most difficult things to overcome (and it certainly is challenging) prosperity can be an even greater challenge. Everyone says they’d love to experience great success and be wealthy but we seldom appreciate the challenges that come from great prosperity. An article published on CNBC in 2017 showed that lottery winners were 3-5 times more likely to file bankruptcy than the average American, battled depression and suicidal thoughts as result of their winnings, and have an abnormally high divorce rate. Why?
You see, failure can mask our real problems because we can blame a great many things for why we did not succeed. The timing was bad, the market shifted, someone didn’t follow through on a commitment, etc… We can shift blame without having to deal with our own immaturity, fears, or lack of character. Success exposes you in a way that failure never could. If you have no healthy boundaries with 10 dollars you will have no healthy boundaries with 10 million dollars. A leaky pipe will drip when there’s only a little water flowing through it. It will explode if its fully pressurized. Success fully pressurizes the situation and all the inconsistencies are exposed immediately. That exposure can be hard to handle if you’re not ready for it. And few people are as ready for it as they think they are. (Click Here To Read My Post, “Integrity Holds You Together”)
What Do I Really Want?
Nauru did not know how to handle its new-found success. Therefore, government corruption, poor investments, and a lack of insight to use the resources to build the nation into a sustainable, prosperous society lead to bankruptcy and disrepair. The same happens to us when we get caught up in achievement. Slowly building your character to handle the pressure of success is more important that achieving ‘greatness’. Success can kill you. What’s worse, you can work so hard to achieve great things in business, finance, athletics, ministry or whatever, only to find it’s not what you actually wanted all along.
Humans are terrible at knowing what they actually want and aligning their practice with their goal. We want to have great relationships but don’t make time to talk face-to-face. We want to be super fit but stay up late watching Netflix eating cookie dough ice cream. We want to be known and loved and accepted but don’t sit still long enough for anyone to have the opportunity to fully experience us. So what do we do?
Character Over Craft
Clarify what success actually means to you and consider the implications of that definition. If having a happy family that eats dinner together each evening and enjoys each other’s company is a goal then consider that there is not a dollar amount that secures that outcome. Working long hours to have more money does not have much connection to that goal. The point is that our culture is defining success for us all of the time but isn’t asking us any questions. You have to determine what you are actually reaching for and then assess whether culture’s prescription for ‘success’ has anything to do with the goal you actually have.
There is nothing wrong with achieving great things and acquiring wealth with which to be a blessing to others. However, be working on your character as much as your craft so that you can handle the pressurization of success as it comes. Success is a blessing when it actually aligns with our true desires, when our character is prepared to hold up under the pressure it brings, and when it leads to helping others succeed. It is my conviction that we can only achieve that kind of success when we surrender our lives to Jesus who knows us better than we know ourselves. He alone can build our lives in such a way that our success will not only benefit and bless us, but benefit and bless everyone in our wake. Is success killing you? It doesn’t have to. Redefine what you actually want to be successful at then content yourself to be lead by the Holy Spirit as He grows your character to handle the many blessings He desires for you to have. (Click Here To Read My Post, “How Much Blessing Can You Handle?”)
From the Bible
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. – Romans 12:2 ESV
For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? – Matthew 16:26 ESV
One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? – Luke 16:10-11 ESV