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Tennis star Venus Williams recently told Bryant Gumbel that one of the perks of being a celebrity is that when you fly coach you sometimes get upgraded. Gumbel stammered: “You do NOT fly in coach class do you?!” Venus said, “I feel if I haven’t won a tournament, then immediately I’m in coach. There are no perks if you’re not doing what you should on the court.”

Here is a young, accomplished, wealthy woman who does that rare thing in the world of celebrity privilege: she holds herself accountable. This is the age of young and wealthy socialites who are famous for being famous. The privileges sometimes seem to be taken for granted, and used frivolously. This why I admire Venus. She exercises both the physical and mental discipline of a professional athlete.

Flying coach instead of first class isn’t exactly self-punishment but it’s how she stays grounded. Pardon the pun. It’s incredibly interesting to me to see how people choose their individual paths. What works for me, may not work for you. I love the journey of discovery.