Success Kills?

Human History is unpredictable. We think that we have answers when something happens and changes our minds. And then, we have to start over again and again... it has always been like that.
 
Throughout history there have been important empires. Egyptians, Mongols, Greeks, Romans, Turkish, Spaniards and British... and now… Americans? But empires disappear. When success is reached, the decline begins. The most difficult part is not climbing up to the top. It is maintaining oneself there.
 
It is the same with companies or people. Weeks ago we have seen how success can be cruel if we forget how we reached it.  Companies like My Space, or people like Amy Winehouse are two examples. On the top, danger and risk of falling down increases. In my opinion, the only way to fight against it is reinvent the  way to do things and never forget who you are.  

I have no criteria to understand why the bigger empires, companies or admired artists can change in a short period of time and be totally vulnerable. I only see one thing: success can kill. There are a lot of circumstances of course, but this fact remains.
 
Maybe if we become successful, we should travel in life with a note book to remember who we are. Maybe the first step is to reinvent our own way to do things.
 
Big empires were always driven by fantastic leaders. But when a empire gets to be very large, is it best to centralize the power in one “charismatic” leader? What happens if the leader is not strong enough or goes against the desire of their people?
 
What happens when an important company forgets that it is big because there are “small” people, a lot of “small” people, who make the company powerful? If the management forgets all their “small” clients or their “small” employees…can the company survive?
 
What happens when an important artist forgets that he continues to be a person similar to the rest of us, with hands, feet, and a head, with the same thoughts, desires, and fears inside? Maybe he should evaluate if some of his uncountable assessors are the best people to trust.
 
And what happens if the world changes and you don´t reinvent your way to do things? Success disappears. The uncountable “friends” go away. Some interested people start attacking you and always… we are alone against the circumstance of change.
 
Society should evolve to a better understanding of what success is and what happens when we fail. Sometimes failure is a kind or success or the opposite. Education is the key. Understand the motivations of others and always act consequently, respecting them.

I will always defend that nothing is impossible. We need a better world, and we need people with criteria to understand others. Listening is a good exercise (I promise I try to practice more and more every day). To put oneself in the shoes of others is a good one too.
 
Success can kill is a judgment call. But decline of empires, companies and people is a fact. Be careful if you become successful, manage a big company or lead an empire. If I were you, I would try to listen to reinvent myself,  without forgetting who I am.