I'm successful, now what

So, first I want to say thank you for taking the time to read my article. I realize that you could be doing a number of things other than consuming my content. I also want to thank you, because by participating, you are helping me fulfill my dream to share my message with others.

            Today as I was on my way to work I had a good conversation with one of my friends. We were talking about a number of topics, but we spent a lot of time talking about success and how people deal with it differently. We talked about how some people become successful and don’t change at all, but that is not most. A large portion of the people we knew who had become successful, had also changed dramatically. These are people that we used to speak to almost every day, but when they gained success, the time we spent talking decrease to almost none. But, why is that?

            I really don’t know why people change after success. I wonder if the way that they are currently acting is the way that they always saw their life? If so, does that mean that the entire time that I have known they were faking? While I want to believe that is what causes the big change, I highly doubt that’s it. So what else could it be? Do people feel that as you become more successful there is an image that you have to uphold? If so, what is that image. I ask myself this question, because as someone who is constantly striving for success I want to prepare myself. Unfortunately, when I ask people that have already achieved the success that I am seeking, they tell me that even though your job might change, you shouldn’t. So, when I hear that, wonder if those that make that type of change are lonely?

            I wonder if they seek the friendships of yester-years, because there are memories that mean the most to the participants, but if you were not there, it just doesn’t hit you the same way. I know that reality can go without saying, but when I look at those that have fame regardless of how it came, I only see two types of people that rise with them. There are those who have all new friends that are down for whatever, because they are not paying. There are also those who brought the friend they have had for years up with them. In my opinion, those that rise with their “crew” seem to be happier. I believe that what I see is truly their reality, because I know I would fear having all new friends. But, if you rise with those that have always been there, at least you know they were there before the money.

            We went on to talk about how we will act as we ascend to the heights that we are seeking to reach. We both said that we will be very cognizant of how much we are reaching back to pull others up the way that others reached back to pull us up. It was interesting that we both felt the same way about intentionally giving back. We talked about how it felt to support someone’s rise, but when they get to a certain point they abandon us. I also went on to express my issue with the “one house negro” syndrome that we as African American still deal with. This syndrome basically sums up the idea that we as African American can only one person gain success. This idea is something that are still dealing with after being enslaved for 100s of years. We have been raised to know that there can only be one of use that makes it inside. This thought could not be more off base.