This is Day Twenty in the 30 Days of Reinvention Video Series [#30DaysReinvention].
Avoid the depressing effect of success by setting off on a meaningful quest and tackling your triggers.
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Hey it’s Rand,
Success can come with a dark side: successful people are more prone to depression and loneliness; success can act as a depressogen, causing depression.
Why is success such a lonely place?
Once we are successful, the Expectations don’t stop. They get higher.
This is true for our expectations and for the expectations placed on us by others.
Once we are successful the stakes get higher. There can be so much more at stake: there can be so many more people reliant on our continued success.
At any given time you are only ever a heartbeat away from failure, and the press love a rise and fall story.
Subconsciously, you may see or read of others who have fallen from grace and the pressure on you mounts up.
What can you do to deal with the dark side of success?
The first thing you can do is to embark on quest-centred therapy.
Figure out something you want to achieve, for example, being at peace with yourself. And then set off on a quest to achieve your objective. As you go, mark your journey and your progress with small wins.
Each of these wins will stave off the darkness in small amounts at first, but cumulatively the process of being involved with a quest that has meaning for you will help you deal with the dark side.
Secondly, instead of avoiding the dark times, explore them by delving into your past and present. Confront the fear wrapped in those dark moments and this will lead you to the third activity – tackling your negative triggers.
Sometimes things happen in our lives that for most people would be viewed as slightly or somewhat negative, but for some reason we view them as off the charts negative.
These are your negative triggers and when they are sparked they can send you into a downward spiral of negativity that can impact your entire life.
By exploring your dark side you become more aware of these triggers and what sparks them off. Your aim should be to tackle them as early as possible. Preferably before they start having an impact.