Athletes compete with the ultimate goal of playing at the highest levels of their sport and winning championships. So, imagine pursuing these goals for most of your life, and then you finally achieve them. Then what?
Sadio Mane has won championships in the biggest leagues in Europe. He won the English Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool and the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. He has represented his nation, Senegal, at the Olympics, won an Africa Cup of Nations championship with them, and has played twice for the Lions in the World Cup.
Mane has earned every right to enjoy the material benefits of his success, but that’s not what he did. So, how has Mane reaped the fruits of his labor? He hasn’t forgotten where he comes from and has supported countrymen who haven’t had the same fortune that he has.
Senegal is one of the poorest nations in the world. The annual per capita income rate in the country is only $1,584, approximately half of what an average American makes in a month. As a star player who has played on the biggest stages that soccer has to offer, Mane makes the same in one day as the average Senegalese worker makes in 25 years!
It was not an easy path to global soccer stardom for Mane. In an interview with Ghanaian media outlet Nsemwoha, Mane explained, “I was hungry, and I had to work in the field; I survived hard times, played football barefoot, I did not have an education, and many other things.”
It would be easy for someone, like Mane, who came from such an impoverished background, to splurge when the championships have been won, and the riches finally arrived. What do you think winning a championship would do for your life? Would you finally get that sports car, private jet, or diamond-studded watch? The contemporary version of success often features these images to portray the ultimate winner.
Mane, who had nothing and now has everything, decided to avoid the trap of this type of lifestyle and instead do something more meaningful with his new fortune. In the article, he stated, “Why would I want ten Ferraris, 20 diamond watches, or two planes? What will these objects do for me and for the world?” Mane added, “I built schools, a stadium, we provide clothes, shoes, food for people who are in extreme poverty. In addition, I give 70 euros per month to all people in a very poor region of Senegal, which contributes to their family economy. I do not need to display luxury cars, luxury homes, trips and even planes. I prefer that my people receive a little of what life has given me.”
The ultimate question for every human being is – why am I here? For many people, money, fame, and power are the ultimate goals in life. Sometimes, in the hot pursuit of achievement, we lose ourselves and our perception of what’s important. If we are killing it at school, work, or sports, and everyone is telling us how great we are, sooner or later, we might start buying into that narrative and begin to believe we are better than the next person. This attitude could ultimately lead to emptiness, loneliness, and unhappiness. It’s easy to get so caught up in the idea of fame and fortune that we lose sight of the most important things in life, especially when those things arrive.
“To whom much is given, much is expected” is a biblical quote that most aptly describes why we are here. The way Mane lives his life embodies this quote. He refused to allow himself to become enraptured with material things or his status as a global soccer star, but instead, he has focused his energy on sharing his success with his people. Although blasting the bling might provide a short-term ego boost, using your platform of success to help other people brings infinitely more joy than a luxury car or flashy jewelry.
At the highest level, we are all on this planet with one mission — to evolve! A sports trophy or career achievement is a material metric, but where are you on the most important things that measure a person in life? Winning championships is awesome, but are you living a championship life?
