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Richard St. John: "Success is a continuous journey"
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Richard St. John: "Success is a continuous journey"

Why Success Can Lead to Failure

The speaker discusses the common phenomenon of people reaching success and then failing due to misconceptions about the nature of success.

Misconception of Success

  • Many individuals fail after achieving success because they view success as a one-way street.
  • After attaining success, people often relax in their comfort zones and stop engaging in the behaviors that initially led to their success.

Downward Spiral of Complacency

  • The speaker shares personal experiences where complacency led to a decline in performance and creativity post-success.
  • Distractions such as focusing on money over clients and engaging in tasks one does not enjoy can contribute to a downward spiral despite outward success.

The Impact of Depression on Success

The speaker reflects on how his journey from success to depression affected his work and personal well-being.

Consequences of Depression

  • Despite material wealth, the speaker experienced depression, leading him to seek medical help.
  • Depression resulted in a lack of motivation, alienating clients and causing business decline.

Recovery and Rediscovery of Passion

The speaker narrates his path towards recovery by rediscovering passion and dedication after facing failure post-success.

Journey Towards Recovery

  • By refocusing on projects he loved, the speaker regained enthusiasm for work and dedicated effort towards improvement.
Channel: TED
Video description

http://www.ted.com In his typically candid style, Richard St. John reminds us that success is not a one-way street, but a constant journey. He uses the story of his business' rise and fall to illustrate a valuable lesson -- when we stop trying, we fail. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. Featured speakers have included Al Gore on climate change, Philippe Starck on design, Jill Bolte Taylor on observing her own stroke, Nicholas Negroponte on One Laptop per Child, Jane Goodall on chimpanzees, Bill Gates on malaria and mosquitoes, Pattie Maes on the "Sixth Sense" wearable tech, and "Lost" producer JJ Abrams on the allure of mystery. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Closed captions and translated subtitles in a variety of languages are now available on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/translate. Watch a highlight reel of the Top 10 TEDTalks at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10