The pages of history are replete with stories of stars, celebrities and super achievers who took years of sweat, stress and sacrifice to reach the top of their respective professions, only to tumble over the precipitous edge of a sex scandal waterfall. Is sex a help or a hindrance, as you climb the ladder of success? Here’s the scoop…
The Sex Hall of Shame contains the names of some of the world’s most talented, ambitious and formerly most influential people. Israel’s King Solomon was reputedly the wisest man of the ancient world, but later lost his way because of his unrestrained sexual appetite. Biblical strongman Samson surrendered his greatness to the seductive sensuality of Delilah. World famous US televangelist Jimmy Swaggart toppled ignominiously from his lofty perch when his sexual infidelities came to light in the 80s.
US President Bill Clinton missed impeachment by a whisker for playing “fast and loose” with the truth, in attempting to cover up his amorous dalliances with Whitehouse intern Monica Lewinsky. His legacy will forever be smeared by this sexual affair. Premature resignations in the corporate and political arenas are too numerous to mention.
Locally too, a few people of national prominence have fallen victims to sex scandals, on both sides of the sexual orientation divide. Others caught up in imprudent sexual behaviour find themselves trying to ignore the subtle glances, knowing smiles and sneaky whispers, while attempting to stay on course for the success peaks of their promising careers.
The verdict is in. You might be gifted, bright, accomplished and sitting comfortably at the top of Success Mountain one minute, and find yourself flat on your butt at the bottom the next minute – all because of one moment of sexual indiscretion.
There’s also another aspect to the potentially negative aspect of sex. Consider what one man told me: “You may not believe me, but I counted over one hundred women that I’ve had sex with, and I just got tired of counting and stopped.” Now imagine the time, money, energy, and creative mental resources channelled in the pursuit and enjoyment of sex, that could have been harnessed for professional achievement.
Some women complain of their men’s proclivity for post-sex sleepiness. Ever wonder why sleep kicks in so soon after? Men and women have limited physical, mental and emotional energy. When most of it is intemperately siphoned off for physical sexual activity, your passion for work, creativity and general productivity suffers. The same is true for resources like money and time. Many people accomplish only average achievements in life, not because they lack time, money or smarts, but because they consume their best resources in uncontrolled physical sexual activity.
Napoleon Hill, author of the great success classic, “Think and Grow Rich”, has this to say about this issue: “From the analysis of over 25,000 people, I discovered that the majority of people who succeed do not begin to do so before the age of 40 to 50. This is due to their tendency to dissipate their energies through overindulgence in physical expression of the emotion of sex. Most persons never learn that the urge of sex has other possibilities, which far transcend in importance than of mere physical expression.”
Many dilettante theologians contend that the “forbidden fruit” eaten by Adam in Eden was sex, that this was the original sin that caused the generational curse of mankind down through the millennia. The jury is still out on that one. We all can agree on one thing though – when your sizzling sex secrets become scintillating sex scandals, your success may be seriously sabotaged. When your best energies and resources are intemperately consumed by sexual pursuits and enjoyment, you compromise your capacity for super-success in other areas of your life.
This is one side of the scoop on sex, sin and success. And you know what they say…there are two sides to every story. So check out the upside of sex and success, right here…in the next issue of BUZZZ!