Many people strive for success. Some who achieve success engage in self-destructive behavior.

Then there are those who claim to avoid success because it changes people, bringing about adverse circumstances.

Invariably, the nightly news has a story of some celebrity who has been consumed by drugs, alcohol, relationship problems, financial difficulties, or crime. The individual being profiled has reached a pinnacle of success most people only dream about. Were they destroyed by success, or did they have an inclination for injurious behavior all along?

Then there are top business and political leaders who cheat, steal, and embezzle. Here we have people who have amassed sizable fortunes, yet behave as if they can never have enough. Besides being illegal and unethical, their actions are clearly stupid. They cause great harm to many people, while flushing their own lives down the toilet.

Another example is lottery jackpot winners. These people walk away with millions of dollars.

However, within several years or less, many have spent all of their winnings and some are even in debt.

Although examples of self-destructive behavior grab the headlines, there are many more instances of successful people leading happy, fulfilling lives. It is not success that determines the direction of a person’s life, it is who the person is inside.

Success doesn’t change people. Money doesn’t change people. It simply makes them more of who they are already are. The danger is when someone doesn’t know who they are or what they stand for. Using money to find oneself rarely yields positive results.

When a person has money but doesn’t have a well-defined self-image, he or she is susceptible to unscrupulous influences, and destructive vices. Additionally, there are those opportunistic people who wait in line for a share of the wealth. You are free to choose who to associate with.

You are responsible for your well being, not someone else.

When money is involved, everyone wants to be your friend. True friends are those who have been by your side when you had far less then you do now. Just because money may be a magnet for people who want some of it, success itself is not tainted.

People who view success as an opportunity to buy happiness are perpetually disappointed. True happiness and true friends are independent of success. Although money can solve some financial problems, financial problems are often a result of issues other than money.

Successful people can have as many financial problems as they did before they were successful.

All it takes to have financial problems is for someone to spend more than they have. So success is neither the solution for, nor cause of, financial problems.

Individuals, who have morals and standards before they are successful, retain their same convictions after they achieve success. Those without such grounding are prone to floundering, often going astray.

Success is not something to fear. You only shortchange yourself if you use the bad apples as an excuse to not pursue your dreams. Legitimate success comes as a reward for being of service to others.

If you desire success, it is within your reach. The more successful you are, the better your ability to help others. Don’t be deterred by others who can’t handle their success and nosedive as a result. Instead, look at those good people who are successful, happy, and content. Individuals may be good or bad, but it’s not success that made them that way.

Visit www.BryanGolden.com or your bookstore. Bryan is a management consultant, motivational speaker, author, and adjunct professor. E-mail Bryan at bryan@columnist.com