What Went Wrong With Michael Jackson?

By Dr. Michael Brooks

I was watching the news while sitting in the hot tub soaking. I was tired from my treadmill workout, when suddenly a news bulletin came on. Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital in cardiac arrest the news anchorman said. Hmm….I thought, he couldn’t have been that old. I mean…he had plenty of medical personal attending him 24/7. Then, I recalled as a kid that I lived not more then 25 miles from him. He lived in Gary Indiana and I lived in Park Forest, Illinois. I knew nothing about him nor his family growing up during that time.

So, as I continued to soak, I thought what would I do with all that money and fame that he had? I mean, what worries did he have about being needy and wanting things? He could buy anything he ever wanted. Now, keep in mind that he and others mismanaged his money and his fame, bigtime! I have had needs and wants through-out my life. Some good and some bad. I can remember when I wanted a red Corvette when I was 18 years old. It was a must have. Borrowing dad’s car was not enough! I wanted to be cool with my friends at my high school. Well, that never happened, and I am glad it didn’t. The closest thing to a red Corvette I got was an old 1963 red Volkswagen. It wasn’t pretty, but it took me places. It sure beat walking!

Then in college, I wanted a pick-up truck. Well that didn’t happen either. I eventually got one a few years later. I was happy with a used Ford F-150. I would have loved to just go to any Ford dealership and say to a salesperson, while pointing and say..oh, I want that black F-250 fully loaded. Oh..and that green F-350, put that on my tab as well. Well, I can assure you that will never happen, now that I am older and somewhat wiser!

On a news story after Michael Jackson’s passing, and prior to his death in the video-tape, he had a television crew follow him into an exclusive furniture store in Hollywood that had extremely expensive vases, statues, and center pieces. As Michael Jackson walked through the store, he pointed at the items he wanted, without really looking at them. He would say “I’ll take that.”, and looking at another item, “I will take that”. This went on for about 40 seconds. I thought to myself, “This is a man with spending problems!” He had out of control habits that no one would challenge. I have a few clients that have an agreement with me; if its over $50 dollars they have to call me, and we talk. They have taken back control and now are out of debt. How would you like to have someone help you keep from spending unwisely?

Did Michael Jackson really have control of his life, or did he give that away to unhealthy people he hired to protect him? Many would debate this issue on both sides, his camp and the world’s opinion. I know people who don’t mind giving away their freedom to others. Me, I will protect it with all my being; stand guard over it.

Its been a few weeks since his passing, and those who took care of him are now blaming each other for his death and co-dependence on his care givers. When you allow others to take control of your life you are at risk. Did you know that? Make sure that you have a good game plan when you are planning life strategies with a life coach. Have a plan that you want to work within, including a time frame and goals. What are your goals? How do you want to get there to achieve them? What are the barriers that keep you from achieving your goals? Procrastination, no time, no vision, or pure laziness?

Michael Jackson allowed the wrong people to control his life; care givers, family members, managers, bankers, body guards, etc. If you want help in taking back control of your life, contact me.

If you would like some help in dealing with personal issues in your life, you can contact Mike at 303.456.0555. If you need more information about the Professional Accountability Partner Program, call 303.456.0555 or go to contact Mike link to set up a free consultation appointment. Dr. Mike’s website is www.applicablecoaching.com all calls are confidential and your privacy is protected. Check out Mike’s blog at: https://applicablecoaching.com/blog/ I always welcome your thoughts and comments on today’s coaching article.