It is true that everyone desires success, maybe in their academics, in their career, in terms of financial advancements, leadership position, business growth, and even personal development. While success is a very good thing, if you allow it to make you to forget the values that brought you the success in the first place, it will become very dangerous. Success should improve your life, and by extension, improve the lives of others too. And if it is not achieving this purpose, then you know that something is not right.
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There was this young man I knew from way back, who started a business of selling rice. He started with just a couple of bags just by the corner of the street, and over time, he grew and got a good shop. His business kept growing well. Part of the reasons were because of his humility, his honesty, and the way he treats his customers well. From the one shop, he was able to get two more shops, and he expanded well. At the moment, he now has his own branded rice company. A lot of people expected him to change when he started making money, but he did not. He kept treating his customers well, treated his staff fairly and even increased their salary. Because he stayed true to his values, a lot of people trusted him the more. His business kept increasing while his character still remained good.
On the other hand, I also knew someone from way back, she learnt makeup and then started the business. She started growing, then got a shop, with 3 staff, then she started to feel like a celebrity. She would talk to them anyhow, would look down on people. In fact her character changed drastically. She did not even have time again for regular customers; always pursuing the "high end" ones, while forgetting that it was those average ones that gave her the success she had. After a while, people lost trust in her and she started to lose customers. She allowed her success to make her to forget her values. She could not manage success, and it became her major undoing.
One of the reasons why people forget their values when they achieve success is pride. Success has a way of creating a false sense of superiority, and the person may even begin to overestimate themselves, and may think that they are better than everyone else. As the pride grows, the humility will constantly be suppressed. When this happens, they will stop listening to advice, they may even start treating people poorly, and they will be cut off from reality. What they fail to understand is that success without humility is not stable, because pride can becloud your eyes from seeing your weaknesses, and it will become your major undoing.
Another thing that makes one to forget their value is the desperation and the desire to maintain success at all cost. Some people can do anything and everything just to remain successful, without even considering if it makes them inhumane. Some can also focus so much on staying successful that they can sacrifice their integrity and their values. They may become dishonest, unfair, and even unethical, just to protect what they feel they have gotten. What they do not understand is that, even though this may bring short-term benefits, the long-term consequences are not worth it. This is because it can break trust, break relationships, and damage reputation.
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Upholding your values is very important in the moment of success. This is because success often comes with greater responsibilities and influence. It will also make people to watch you and your actions closely. At that point, your decisions and your actions may begin to affect more people than you can ever think of, like your employees, your family members, your friends, the community, and others. It is by having strong values that you will ensure that your success will be used positively for the greater good, not for selfishness. You also need to remain teachable and grateful. Always remember that there is still life ahead, and where you are is just a passage. Also know that what you have achieved is not only about personal efforts, but also about opportunities, support, relationships, and helps from other people.
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