As the great Bob Dylan once said, “the times, oh, they are
changing,” and, like all good things, my time here at Critical Magazine must come to an end. Adapting my popular book Brian Dangerfield’s 15 Steps to Greatness
into a series of weekly columns was hard work, but if you took even one thing
away from my writing then it was all worth it. Of course, I hope that you were
able to find inspiration and practical advice in each of my fifteen steps
(except the ones that I cut out).
I must thank Annie Josephs and the other fine people at Critical Magazine for helping me bring
my message of greatness to a new generation. I decided to write this column
because I was concerned about the state of today’s youth, and since I began
things have only become worse: the last few months have seen rioting in the
streets, elderly pedestrians shoved into shopping carts, and of course the
infamous ‘500 Undies’ event. Clearly, the young people of today need a role
model more than ever, and so it is with a heavy heart that I must bid the Critical team farewell. Even though it’s
only been fourteen weeks, I feel as if I’ve been writing for this magazine for
years.
But writing this series has been as much a journey for me as it has
been for you, dear reader. It was an opportunity to relive the glory years of
almost twenty years ago: the endless book-signings, the motivational seminars,
the bright lights of small-town New Zealand. I must admit, it’s a stark
contrast to my current job of stacking empty paint tins at Mitre 10 Mosgiel.
Writing this column also made me reflect on the good times I shared with my
wife Maria: our life on the road, our unstoppable partnership. Sadly, our
relationship has deteriorated somewhat since then. Yes, life is different now
than it was in those days, but writing this column, knowing that I was making a difference, has helped get me
through these dark times.
Did I mention that my book is still available from www.briandangerfieldbooks.com?
I could really do with the money.
But you know, in the last few weeks, I’ve started to realise
something. Greatness doesn’t come from having a perfect family, or the fame
associated with writing a moderately-selling book, or from making inane
chit-chat on breakfast television. At the end of the day, I don’t need any more
than my small bungalow in Mosgiel, which I am lucky enough to share with
Kalaya, a lovely girl who I met in Thailand. She doesn’t speak much English,
but it doesn’t matter. I understand now that true greatness comes from within,
from the happiness inside yourself, and you don’t need fifteen steps to
understand that.*
*If you do happen to follow my fifteen-step
programme and are a success, however, I think it would only be fair that I
still receive some of the credit. Please? That would really mean a lot.
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