Mandy talked about how he has been a terror to work with over the years. He was brutal and frank about his shortcomings. He said that for some reason, he always pursued money. He wanted the fame to get more money. He admitted that is was just greed, but he had no idea where the greed was coming from. That was the part that really got me thinking. How many things do we pursue for the wrong reasons? How many things do we pursue for no reason? How many times do our reasons get mixed up with someone else's? All questions that I think deserve some attention.
Many folks pursue a career as an athlete. I can't count how many parents I've seen push their kids into athletics so that the parent can live vicariously through the kid. The notion is that there will be fame and fortune for everyone. Do a quick search and you will find that 78% of NFL, 60% of NBA, and a huge number of MLB players are bankrupt within 5 years after leaving their sport. All those folks that pursued the fame and fortune ended up with beat up and (in some cases) broken down bodies and no money. Sounds like a stupid plan to me.
I am not against money. What I am against is folks pursuing things that they think they want because someone else has it. Be it money, fame, a fancy car, or anything else that we see others have and covet, we are not pursuing the things that we should be, nor are we pursuing things for the reasons we should be. Happiness is not found at the end of the rainbow. Fame is a questionable goal. Just look at all of the "famous" people that commit suicide. Stuff tends to lead to wanting more stuff. Pursue dreams and goals and things, but make sure that you understand what you are pursuing and, more importantly, why.