Opinion: The pressure of chasing great achievements

  Every time I read about the suicide of someone who was famous or who had some great achievement, it really gives me pause to consider why in the world that person would take their life. I juxtapose that with my own desire to achieve something great. Not only that, but often times I wouldn't mind having achieved the very thing that that person did. Reading about Rashaan Salaam's death, in what is being viewed as a suicide, got me to thinking about these things. He was the 1994 Heisman Trophy winner. Who wouldn't want that on their list of achievements? I would be only too glad to have that distinction added to the list of things one could use to describe me and my achievements. I fast forward in my mind to the book of Ecclesiastes where a picture of the reality of life is painted for us. The fleeting nature of even the greatest joy is what we have in this world. How many of us are chasing great achievements as an end unto themselves? I want to be great. I want to be an achiever, but perhaps a healthier approach would be to make sure I never forget that God did not create us to be able to attain full satisfaction outside of Him. He didn't make us that way. Yes, many "have fun" in this life, but many more feel the constant nagging of meaninglessness, of dissatisfaction, of an insatiable need that keeps on tugging on them to their very core. I've never wanted to commit suicide, but I'm humbled by these kinds of stories. Money and fame are not a cure-all. No. And my pursuit of those things will not be a cure-all.   Hlase Baloyi is a lawyer from Zimbabwe. He considers Washington DC his second home but describes himself as a “regular guy living on planet Earth”. Follow him on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hlase.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