快速成功的陷阱
By Rick Boxx
這些日子令人沮喪的事似乎吸引人們的注意力，當負面消息佔據大部份版面，我們的焦點常常朝向害怕失敗。但當我們成功──非常成功時，會發生什麼事？
網路有像病毒那樣迅速傳播的特性，一個點子幾乎能瞬間傳遍全球──再加上人們可以隨時連線上網──許多人在非常短的時間就變得富裕或有名。例如在幾年前，有一個人製作了一個吸引全世界注意的短片，據報導一週內就有一億人點閱。你是否也想經歷那樣的成功？
在這個人的例子中，他發現意外的成功可被極度的高估。他亟於抓住並運用這瞬間來臨的成功，卻導致精疲力竭和在公眾面前失控的行為。令人遺憾的是，結果反而有損他所推廣的初衷。
我們可以想出許多其他成功的人最後卻失敗的例子：藝人一夜之間家喻戶曉，但卻被成功沖昏頭，很快又被人們遺忘；企業主管想要不顧道德，走捷徑去達到成功；明星運動員的職業生涯就像流星，這一分鐘被看見，下一分鐘就消失了。
我們許多人工作夠努力，也有決心，在生命中將會經歷到當成功、令人興奮的機會，甚至財富誘使我們超越我們的界限。害怕一生才一次的機會溜走，不再回來，我們就奮力去做超過我們精神和體力能負荷的事。我們可能最後會像那網路創業者，精疲力竭且蒙羞。或者不僅在我們的工作場所中，也在我們的家中，可能造成重要人際關係上無可修復的傷害，。
若你意外地成功了，放穩你的腳步。自制將會有比較健康且比較好的長期結果。聖經提供我們應該思想的智慧：
練習自制。成功若突然來到，像滾雪球一樣滾下坡，速度愈來愈快，規模也愈來愈大，我們就想乘勢而行。那衝力可能讓你興奮。然而箴言23章4節教導我們：「不要勞碌求富，休仗自己的聰明。」
為將來作準備。當我們嚐到成功的滋味，就很容易以為成功會永遠延續下去。然而事實上，今天熱門的趨勢明天可能會有另外的想法。更好的做法是是用成功作為長期繁榮的跳板。嚴肅地考慮像以下這樣的問題：我們應該成長得多快速？若需求持續，我們是否能跟上需求的步伐？耶穌說：「你們那一個要蓋一座樓，不先坐下算計花費，能蓋成不能呢﹖」（路加福音14章28節）。
避免自我膨脹。成功可能導致自我膨脹。那是一個危險的陷阱，當我們事先防範，才能避開那陷阱。在羅馬書12章3節，使徒保羅勸告他的讀者：「不要看自己過於所當看的，要照著神所分給各人信心的大小，看得合乎中道。」
本文版權為正直資源中心（Integrity Resource Center, Inc.）所有。本文獲得授權改編自「瑞克．博克思的正直時刻Integrity Moments with Rich Boxx」。這系列的文章是以一個基督徒的觀點評論職場的正直議題。想要更多了解正直資源中心或想要收到電子文件的「瑞克每天的正直時刻Rick”s daily Integrity Moments」系列文章，請上網www.integrityresource.org。他的書「如何生意興隆而不犧牲正直」提供人們正直地作生意的方法。
省思 / 討論題目
我們常常擔心會失敗，但你是否曾擔心自己要如何面對快速的成功？請解釋。 你是否認識某個人──可能甚至是你自己──是他自己成功的「受害者」？ 你想為何某些人很難處理成功？ 你是否同意，在面對快速的成功時先練習自制，可以導致更好的長期結果，而不是當成功來臨時，想「抓住機會」擠出每一滴利益？為什麼？註：若你有聖經且想要看有關此主題的其他經文，請看：箴言11章28節，15章6節，27章21節，27章24節，28章25節；馬太福音6章19-21節、33-34節
PITFALLS OF INSTANT SUCCESS
By Rick Boxx
In these days when gloom and doom seem to attract attention, when negative news receives so much coverage, our own focus is often directed toward the fear of failure. But what happens when we achieve success – too much success?
With the so-called “viral” nature of the Internet, in which an idea can achieve almost instantaneous, global saturation – enhanced by the 24/7 access available to us – many people have become rich or famous in a very short period of time. A couple of years ago, for instance, a man produced a video that captured worldwide attention, reportedly reaching 100 million people in a single week. How would you like to experience that kind of success?
In this individual”s case, he discovered unimagined success can be vastly overrated. His unrestrained attempt to capture and leverage this instant success led to extreme exhaustion and a public meltdown. Regrettably, this resulted in damaging the very cause he was promoting.
We can think of many other examples of successful people that ultimately failed: Entertainers who became household names overnight, only to let success go to their heads and just as quickly become forgotten; business executives who tried to take ethical shortcuts to perpetuate success; star athletes whose careers were like shooting stars, visible one minute but disappearing the next.
Many of us, with enough hard work and determination, will experience periods in life when success, exciting opportunities, and even wealth can tempt us to push beyond our limits. Fearful of having a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away, never to return, we press beyond our mental and physical capacities. We could end up like the Internet entrepreneur, exhausted and publicly humiliated. Or we could cause irreparable harm to important relationships, not only where we work but also in our homes.
If success grabs you unexpectedly, pace yourself. Restraint will result in a healthier and better long-term result. The Bible offers wisdom we should consider:
Practice restraint. Caught up in the moment, when success seems like the snowball rolling downhill, picking up speed and size, we feel inclined to ride along. Momentum can become intoxicating. However, Proverbs 23:4 teaches, "Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint."
Prepare for the future. When we taste success, it becomes easy to assume it will last forever. In reality, however, today”s hot trend becomes tomorrow”s afterthought. A better approach is to use success as a springboard for long-term prosperity. Seriously consider issues such as, how fast should we grow? Can we keep pace with the demand if it continues? Jesus said, "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?” (Luke 14:28).
Prevent ego buildup. Success can lead to an inflated sense of self. That is a dangerous trap, one we can avoid only when we anticipate it in advance. In Romans 12:3, the apostle Paul advised his readers, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.“
Copyright 2014, Integrity Resource Center, Inc. Adapted with permission from "Integrity Moments with Rick Boxx," a commentary on issues of integrity in the workplace from a Christian perspective. To learn more about Integrity Resource Center or to sign up for Rick”s daily Integrity Moments, visit www.integrityresource.org. His book, How to Prosper in Business Without Sacrificing Integrity, gives a biblical approach for doing business with integrity.
Reflection/Discussion Questions
We often worry about failure, but have you ever worried about how you might handle great success? Explain your answer. Have you ever known someone – perhaps even yourself – who became a “victim” of their own success? What did this look like? Why do you think success can be so difficult for some people to handle? Do you agree that determining in advance to practice restraint in the face of great success could lead to better long-term results than attempting to “seize the moment” and squeeze out every ounce of profit and productivity the instant it arrives? Why or why not?NOTE: If you have a Bible and would like to read more about this subject, consider the following passages: Proverbs 11:28, 15:6, 27:21, 27:24, 28:25; Matthew 6:19-21, 33-34
