BarrieBergman

Celebrities Behaving Badly

Charlie Sheen, Nicholas Cage, Mel Gibson, and Randy Quaid are names in the news lately.  They have been very bad boys.  It’s hard to tell who has screwed up more in this group of miscreants.  I’m not being chauvinistic by leaving out the women.  They are just more than I have the time and energy to write about.  Our latest group of boys, who behave childishly, join a long line of celebrities who get in big trouble for reasons that are hard to fathom. 

I have a theory about this behavior . . . I think these poor souls grow up with a bad self-image, but with a lot of talent.  They become successful, but they don’t feel good about themselves.  They believe they are unworthy of their success, so they create a self-fulfilling prophesy that leads to huge screw-ups.

From the outside it is incomprehensible that they ruin their lives, when they have everything that all of us want.  But they just can’t help themselves.  With the right amount of rehab or therapy, these guys can be fixed, but as long as they believe they don’t deserve their success, they will keep messing up.

This theory is not original with me, but it does seem to explain the bizarre behavior of ostensibly successful people.  Beware of wishing for fame and fortune because you just might get it.  If you are going to be famous, you better get your head right first.

I’m off to New Orleans for our annual trip to the Jazz Festival.  It’s the world’s best party with great music, great food, and lots of alcohol.  Laissez les bon temps rouler. 

The Myth of Overnight Success

People always ask me how I managed to become an overnight success in two industries. I tell them it's easy -- the first time it took me 25 years, and the second 14. I don't really believe that there are overnight successes, but I do believe in a few basic rules of the road to get you to success. Here's my road map.....

Download the ChangeThis Manifesto: The Myth of Overnight Success