Talent > Integrity
Posted By Aaron Marcelli on June 21, 2012
Earlier this week I asked you to share the first thing that comes to mind when you think of any or all of the following four celebrities:
Bill Clinton
Tiger Woods
Whitney Houston
Rush Limbaugh
I was part of a conference break-out session where this exercise was done and people were asked to give their thoughts out loud on each person. Listening to what people thought of this group, it became obvious that they have become defined by their failures though they were once each great.
Bill Clinton was a great president who really screwed up. Tiger Woods was a wonderful golfer who is trying to make a comeback but is still defined by his personal failures. Houston was an incredible musical talent whose addictions and failures lead to her death. Limbaugh’s mistakes have cost him many of his sponsors. As one of my commenters said, they “couldn’t handle success.”
Each of them were born with talent but unfortunately their talent took them further than their character could sustain them. Whether it was pride or personal weakness, they did not address the sin and vulnerabilities in their lives and now they have each paid for it.
What I take from this is that you cannot wait until you “arrive” or are successful to set boundaries or determine what you want your level of integrity to be. Those things must be in place before hand so that when the pressure of power or success comes we will be ready to stand.
It would be a shame for you or I to accomplish something great in this world yet go into history remembered for our failures, weaknesses or hidden sins.
We must put in the work now to be people of integrity!
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