How difficult it is to be rich. A truth as simple as it is materialistic. A truth that hides two dark realities: it is as complex to get to the top as it is to stay there.
In this article I would like to exemplify both realities by giving them a name and surname: Serge Gnabry. The splendid German footballer, a true hunter on the pitch, came close to becoming his own victim in his early days.
His rise as a footballer took place in one of the most prolific academies not only in London but also in England, that of Arsenal. His talent was (and still is) unquestionable and he was quick to excel while defending the Gunner’s shield. In the blink of an eye, he went from asking for money from his family to being paid more than all of them put together. It may sound logical, but it doesn’t hurt to point out that there is nothing more dangerous and elusive than a large sum of money in the hands of a scatterbrained mind.
Easy come, easy go, and the amount of money he spent on eternally unnecessary whims bordered on indiscretion. The risk is not to think that life is a roller coaster with its many ups and downs but to believe that once at the top you will be spared the fall. Of course, his fall came, in the form of a long-term injury, which allowed him to focus on the future and put aside the outdated present.
The lesson, even if it seems simple, turns out to be utopian: make the most of the present without losing your way, because tomorrow is behind the next wave.
Foot Renegades 