Oh, Dave

I thought I would write something, but Dave Chappelle does a good job of laying it out with his comments which have now gone viral, "I let go of the salt." For those of you who don't recognize Dave Chappelle, you should go back and review his comedy as in his prime he was pivotal in setting the stage for this generation of informed comedians. Dave challenged the boundaries of comedy in a time before that was popular. His story reminds us that it is important to remember that as we pursue our personal and professional goals, ask the question, "Am I gaining the world and yet forfeiting my soul?" What I like about both what Dave says and the quote mentioned, there is no one to blame but yourself - are you achieving your goals while keeping your values intact? 

When asked why he chose to walk away from his successful sketch comedy show in 2005, Dave Chappelle offered "CBS This Morning" co-host Gayle King a thoughtful analogy about survival, courtesy of a nature show. Dave Chappelle on how success became a trap. Dave's comments have gone viral, "I let go of the salt," as he literally walked away from what was the biggest show of it's time, he set the mic down before he reached the peak of his potential in the market, and yet as he shares it he is the better for it. Dave went from being everywhere to being nowhere and he did that by choice. 

Slate gave a good summary of the video in their article (read more HERE):

Chappelle explained. “I think that that was the irreconcilable moment for me—that I was in this very successful place, but the emotional content of it didn’t feel anything like what I imagined success should feel like. It just didn’t feel right.” He told a story about how Bushmen use salt to trap baboons, who can’t pull their hands out of holes once they’ve grabbed onto lumps and subsequently lead the Bushmen to water—and how financial success can be a similar kind of trap. He, however, was smart enough to let go of the salt. (Slate.com) ​

What are your thoughts on what Mr. Chappelle says? How do you maintain vision and values in your pursuits? 

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