Millions of people watched the academy awards this past week and some got caught up in the glamour of it all, and maybe were a little envious. It’s easy to see how this can happen since in today’s world celebrities seem to reign supreme. The media report, without let up, on the lives of celebrities – their grand homes, clothes, elaborate parties, travels, private planes, plastic surgery, personal trainers, political views, and, unless your own life is lacking, a lot of the time it’s all so tiresome.
On the other hand, those who envy celebrities perhaps don’t realize the amount of discipline involved in being one. Among other things, celebrities have to acquire the ability to feel comfortable in this kind of setting without always feeling breathed upon, they have to develop thick skin, and also figure out what it takes to have staying power because it can all unravel if they can’t handle it. And, along the way, they realize that the media are your friends, or not, depending.
Living life as a celebrity being on display, having to nod to photographers lest you look less than your best in tomorrow’s magazines, newspapers, and tv reports, being judged for having or not having, is a balancing act. Have you noticed that the celebrities who manage to live their lives powerfully and graciously, appreciating what they have and giving back in some way, have a feeling about them that’s relaxed, that says they’re happy, and those who haven’t figured it out look forlorn and employ drastic measures to be noticed.
Before envying a celebrity, or the lifestyle of one, let’s dig deeper. Really succeeding is having the insight to enjoy life at the top, to give back, and to not take it all so seriously. And hats off to a celebrity who has learned what it takes to happily pull that off.
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“Your vision will become clear only when you look into your heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” – Carl Jung