Yesterday I received a rather desperate phone call from a relative of mine named Sam.
I used to spend a LOT of time with Sam growing up. And back then he was an amazing guy.
Sam was the kind of person who was so charismatic that you felt happy and excited just being around him.
He was an incredibly positive person with a keen interest in helping others.
I remember how frequently he used to start some meaningful project to benefit his community, or quite often less-fortunate people thousands of miles away that he had never met.
Sam was also incredibly successful. He was just one of those people who always seemed to be able to make money. And over the course of his life he amassed substantial wealth.
Sam was constantly learning and creating; he was in to art, science, technology… a real Renaissance man.
Most of all, Sam was a person of rock-solid integrity. He stood up for his values, and the rest of us deeply respected him.
I’m really grateful to have had his mentorship for so long, and I know that I’m a better person as a result of his influence.
But starting around 15 years ago, Sam started to change.
He went through a major personal crisis… the kind of thing you hope to never have to experience in life.
