Dedicated to healthy mind, beauty, and spirit

Dedicated to healthy mind, beauty, and spirit

Sunday, February 28, 2010

BE THE STAR OF YOUR LIFE

“Fame or integrity: which is more important? Money or happiness: which is more valuable? Success or failure: which is more destructive? If you look to others for fulfillment, you will never truly be fulfilled. If your happiness depends on money, you will never be happy with yourself. Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”
- Lao Tzu, from the Tao Te Ching

Lots of people want to be famous. Especially prone to the longings, are children, teenagers, and a whole lotta California. Statistically, wouldn't becoming famous be similar to landing a winning lottery ticket? Even if talents were whetted to perfection, fame would still be a shot of luck. The need for praise, popularity, or appreciation drives those who want “it” regardless of daunting probability. During the last few weeks of American Idol auditions, judges sifted through thousands of performers afflicted with “fame-itis” to discover a scant few who might have the goods.

Successful artists like Josh Groban who have prepared their craft, can accept the well deserved acknowledgements when they come. But a “lottery winner” like Susan Boyle freaks out when her simple life is overtaken by video cameras staked outside her home. Blinded by her desire for celebrity, she wasn't prepared for the dark side of the dream.

The negative aspects to fame like loss of privacy, penetrable scrutiny, and pressures to maintain success are irrelevant to the star-struck. Fame and celebrity are a tempting delusional sundae full of corn syrup, not always as tasty as it looks, but when someone is starving, satiating the need is all that matters. Then, when the in-coming praise doesn’t match the internal praise, the difference is maddening. Fame cannot accelerate self worth or cure life’s problems. While the spotlight exalts, it also exposes flaws. Are the nervous breakdowns and addictive behaviors common to meteoric fame any surprise?

Perhaps it’s best to be the star of your own life, first.

“I don’t think I realized that the cost of fame is that it’s open season on every moment of your life.” -Julia Roberts

“If you come to fame not understanding who you are, it will define who you are.” - Oprah Winfrey

“With fame, you know, you can read about yourself, somebody else’s ideas about you, but what’s important is how you feel about yourself - for survival and living day to day with what comes up.” -Marilyn Monroe

“The image is one thing and the human being is another. It’s very hard to live up to an image.” -Elvis Presley

“By accident of fortune a man may rule the world for a time, but by virtue of love he may rule the world forever.” -Lao Tzu

No comments:

Post a Comment