Lamar Odom, two time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers was found unresponsive at a Nevada brothel after a three-day binge of cocaine and herbal supplements. On Wednesday morning ,reports said; Odom, 35 and father of two was on life support and unconscious.

On Aug. 11, 2014 actor and comedian Robin Williams committed suicide, after what most would say, had a successful career. In 1998, Williams won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Dr. Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting. He also received two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Grammy Awards throughout his career, and was inducted as a Disney Legend Award in 2009.

On April 8, 1994 Kurt Cobain lead singer, songwriter and guitarist of the rock band Nirvana, was found dead at his home in Seattle by what was officially ruled a suicide by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at 27. Cobain sold over 25 million records in the U.S. alone, not to mention over 75 million around the world.

I think it would be safe to say that all three of these men; an athlete, an actor, and a rock star, had achieved their childhood dreams. All three of them had the work ethic, self-discipline and motivation to become what they had aspired to be. I’m sure that along with achieving their dreams came all the perks of success, be it money, fame, cars, clothes, women, drugs. I mean, they had it all, brand new socks and drawers, yet there was still something missing.

At 16 years old, I began running the streets on the South Side of Santana, and was introduced to heroin shortly after. I struggled with a heroin addiction for 18 years, I’ve seen and done things that I’m not proud of, I lived a life in and out of jails, prisons, rehabilitation centers and hospitals. Although, I would get clean I couldn’t remain clean, no matter what there was always something missing, so I’d run back to the only thing that I knew would numb the void, but never fill it.

Now, I’m convinced that not only myself and these three “successful” individuals but every single one of us is born with a void, although we might not be professional athletes, actors or rock stars with celebrity status, we also attempt to fill the void with whatever we think will make us happy. We just use the things that are made available to us, it’s kind of like trying to fit a square into a circle, it just won’t fit, there’s still a sense that something is missing, like there has to be more to life than just this.

I believe that this void was made by God and for God, only He can fill it. The day we allow Him to fill that void in our hearts will we be made whole, complete with a purpose and a destiny.

Today I know with out a shadow of a doubt, that it’s only because of Gods grace and His mercy that I have been given another chance at life. I too had come to a place of lost hope, I had accepted that all I was ever going to be was a gang member and a drug addict until the day I asked God if he was real, to change me, I didn’t want to live like that anymore. Usually all drugs and alcohol addicts, visit inpatient substance abuse center, where they get treatment for their addiction.

That doesn’t go to say that today my life is perfect, but I do understand that there is a majestic God that is in control, even through the things I don’t understand I believe that He causes everything to work together for the good. Although I’m not where I want to be, I know that I’m not where I use to be. I’m going through a process that started by the renewing of my mind, changing the way I think, and that inner change is reflected in my outer man. I have this undeniable peace that surpasses all understanding no matter what life brings my way, that void has been filled. It’s undeniable, today I’m not the man I use to be.