Success does not guarantee happiness
Deion “Prime Time” Sanders stands as one of the best athletes to ever walk the earth. The Hall of Famer is regarded as one of the best defensive backs to ever play the game and one of three players in history to play in Major League Baseball and the National Football League at the same time. During his best years in the NFL, he played for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys.
Sanders experienced success at every level of sports. In high school, he was a letterman and All-State honoree in football, basketball, and baseball. In 1985, he was named to the Florida High School All-Century Team .
In college, Sanders attended Florida State University. He stood out in football, baseball and track. Playing under legendary Head Coach Bobby Bowden, he became a two-time consensus All-American at cornerback. He won the Jim Thorpe Award as the best defensive back in college football in 1988. In baseball, he was known as an elite base stealer and a solid hitter acquiring a .331 batting average during his last season.
In the NFL, Sanders reigns as one of the best players to ever play the game. Some of his accolades include: nine-time first team All-Pro, eighttime Pro Bowler, Defensive Player of the Year in 1994, two Super Bowl wins and an NFL 1990s All-Decade Team spot.
In 1997, Sanders was at the peak of his career. He had fame and fortune. One would think that he felt on top of the world. However, it turned out to be the exact opposite. What many didn’t know is that Sanders was battling severe depression at that time. Many saw the flamboyant, exciting player on TV, but most were clueless about the shambles present in his personal life.
On one somber night, he attempted to take his own life by driving his car off a 40-foot cliff.
“I was pretty much running on fumes,” Sanders told The Undefeated, a sports and pop culture website owned by ESPN. “I was empty, no peace, no joy. Success almost ruined my life.”
Sanders escaped the crash without significant injury. He then gave his life to Christ and learned the importance of having faith.
With that said, you never know what a person is going through in life. They may be smiling and acting as though everything is okay but could be dealing with real turmoil behind closed doors.
Instead of being so quick to pass judgment on a person, we should try to show them some love and compassion. No human being is perfect so try to put yourself in that person’s shoes.
Another lesson we can learn is that success and popularity does not buy happiness.
Many people look at television and social media and are mesmerized by what they watch. Young men will view a person with money, women and cars and assume that is what happiness looks like. Young women will see a person with over a million followers getting lots of attention and try to emulate them.
I will be the first to tell you that the majority of the images viewed on social media are not real life. It’s just everyone’s highlight reel or a façade they’ve created. They will never show you when they’re actually going through a struggle.
Plenty of successful people have dealt with depression and loneliness. Left untreated depression has led many to turn to alcoholism, drug addiction, suicidal ideation and other irrational behaviors.
I urge everyone to show more love to one another. Check on the people you love more often and ask them if they are okay. And if you’re personally struggling with something, please do not be afraid to ask for help.