#43 Protect Yourself from Success
The ancient Romans knew the danger of success and they had a ritual that protected winners from themselves. Let’s see it means for us, in 2026.
When a Roman general returned victorious from battle, Rome threw an enormous festival.
Just picture it in your mind…
The general—draped in purple and gold, riding a chariot pulled by four white horses—paraded through cheering crowds. Behind him: treasure carts, exotic beasts, captured enemies in chains. Ahead: senators and trumpeters clearing the way.
It was a scene designed to inflate the ego faster than you would agitate a champagne.
But here’s the part very few people noticed…
Standing just behind the general in that same chariot was a slave. His job? To hold a laurel wreath above the general’s head—and repeat these words again and again for the entire parade:
“Cave ne cadas.”
(“Beware that you do not fall.”)
and
“Memento mori.”
(Remember… you are mortal.)
Not to shame the general. But to protect him.
You see, pride, left unchecked, doesn’t just precede a fall—it invites it.
The ancients understood a profound mystery: with every triumph comes a hidden trap. When you win—especially when you feel invincible—that’s the moment to pause and look for the shadows.
Ask yourself:
“What are the drawbacks of this win?”
“If I had lost, what would my benefits have been?”
Because every event has two sides—benefits and drawbacks, pleasure and pain, positive and negative. See only one side, and you’re off balance… and vulnerable.
So here’s a powerful little exercise:
The next time you feel puffed up by success, sit quietly and list 25 drawbacks to that very same win. Then stretch to find 25 more.
You’ll feel the shift. Clarity replaces conceit. And suddenly you’re not riding into a trap—you’re steering with both hands.
As B.J. Palmer (the developer of chiropractic) once said:
“Take no credit. Take no blame. Just stay focused on the aim.”
Love and Wisdom,
Monica and Stefan
