Height Of Insanity.

I’m currently doing a refresher of the Halftime program, Halftime Online. Last week, we explored our strengths based on the CliftonStrengths assessment. The StrengthsFinder tool identifies them as ‘balconies’ (highlights) and ‘basements’ (shortcomings).

For instance, one of my top five strengths is connectedness. The balcony here for me is that I don’t sweat the small stuff, I have strong faith, always look at the big picture, and I also help others see purpose. The basement of this strength, however, is that I can be passive, naïve, too idealistic and even wishy-washy. I disagree with that last part, hehe.

Regardless, I liked that comparison of the highs and lows of our strengths. I recommend taking this assessment, folks, if you haven’t already. It will give you plenty to think about during this holiday season and maybe even help you set some personal targets for next year.

The facilitators then played a video detailing the story of former NBA star Jeremy Lin to illustrate how, when we overuse our strengths, we risk turning them into weaknesses. Jeremy Lin came from a humble background, born to a mother who pushed him to excel academically. That, combined with his great basketball skills, led him to reach the highest level of the sport: the NBA.

Watching the video, I got the feeling that the spotlight found him; it wasn’t necessarily his goal to be in the limelight. He rose fast and furiously within the NBA and broke quite a few records set by previous greats, such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. He was even the most Googled person at one point. Imagine that, folks—quite a feat. He was riding a wave of success until an injury struck, and the wave crashed. He could no longer play as much and had to sit out most of the games. At that level, you are only as good as your last game’s stats.

During the interview, he remarked that he did not enjoy the first five years of his career. He didn’t have time to pause and take in his achievements. It was like chasing after the wind. Things tend to move so fast when success beckons. I relate to Jeremy regarding being a hyper-achiever. We tend to normalise—read minimise—our blessings because we are fixated on the next thing. While we are living in tomorrow, today passes us by. I am a work in progress and have been trying to reverse that trend by practising being ‘where my feet are’. That has been one of my goals this year, and I believe I have made some strides in being present. I hope to be out of the hyper-achiever rehab in the coming year.

Jeremy turned his career crash around by using his celebrity status to help others. I noticed that he was sustained by the inner anchor of faith that his mother had cultivated in him from an early age. Perhaps that’s why, when his bone broke, his spirit did not. Folks, having an inner anchor that keeps us grounded—especially when doing very well or very poorly—could be the difference between success and failure.

Lin described his life at the peak of his career as the height of insanity. I have seen men and women who are wildly successful in their careers across both the public and private sectors navigate that season of their lives poorly. A lot changes for the worse, though there is a school of thought that suggests that money doesn’t change a person; it just reveals their true self. Do you agree with that, folks?

Success can truly be insane. I once read somewhere that it’s easier to handle failure than success. Sounds odd, until you think a bit deeper about it. Many people have failed miserably because of what they did, or didn’t do, while enjoying success. We have cases of global athletes here at home who have ended their careers—and even their lives—by overindulging when too much success visits. When doing well, we often joke that we are ‘eating life with a big spoon’, yet it might be the other way around. Life could be eating us, and we may not even be aware. Let us remain vigilant when things are going well, ensuring that we are not being consumed by life, but truly enjoying it instead.

We should be wary of success, folks. While it’s a welcome visitor, it can also be a wolf in sheep’s clothing that devours our existence. From Jeremy Lin’s story and a few others I know, the only way to remain sober amidst the drunkenness of success is to have an inner anchor that keeps us from staggering. Just like a boat at sea that is anchored securely. We may sway in the waves and dance with the current kidogo, but we cannot go beyond a certain point. That’s what ensures that we don’t drift at sea and potea.

What has kept you anchored this year, folks? If you weren’t anchored and success made you ‘insane’, how can you tame that insanity and ensure next year is better? Maybe it was a failure of one kind or another that drove you to the brink. If that’s the case, how can you ensure that you find the light through failure?

The year 2025 has been full of highs and lows for many of us. The fact that we are still here means that our assignment is still valid and worth pursuing. Both success and failure have their basements and balconies, just like our strengths. And each of them can help us find and live a meaningful life. They are all pieces that complete the puzzle that is our lives. Let’s embrace them, including our failures, for it is from them that we can glean a lesson or two.

And just like that, we have come to the end of another year. I’m about to hibernate in an area that has no bundles or Wi-Fi, hehe. It’s been a deep honour to share my random musings throughout the year with you folks, and an even deeper honour that you guys pass by here to read them. I hope I have coloured your life kiasi and made the journey a bit lighter for you.

May you have a wonderful Christmas break with your loved ones. Remember to fill your cup first and let others drink from the overflow. Happy holidays, and catch you all next year.