Culture tells us that, to have value, we must be famous, and to be famous, we must be successful and rich. Being famous means that people want us. That we are worthy.
Image by My Graph X – Pixabay
But being famous means putting on a mask of perfection and hiding our humanity. The sad death of Liam Payne has brought to light just how difficult fame can be. Being worshipped and adored by fans may give an incredible high but navigating coming back down to earth can be incredibly hard. Often the only way to cope is with drugs and alcohol.
Not many of us ever wear the label of fame but that doesn’t stop us craving it. We spend hours, days and weeks trying to cultivate a patina of being an expert in our field. Constant posting on social media can give us the impression that we are important and yet, if our virtual audience ever becomes big enough with hundreds, thousands or even millions of likes, it can eat up our lives like a greedy monster with an insatiable appetite.
But is it really worth it?
The next time you catch yourself wanting to be famous, ask yourself if it might be wiser to step back and concentrate on your genuine relationships, including the one with yourself. You will lose most of your virtual friends and end up, if you’re lucky, with only enough genuine friends to count on the fingers of one hand. but you will have freed up time and regained quality to your life. Your life may not be as rich in money, but it will be far richer in love and happiness.
Now that sounds like a kinder way to live, doesn’t it …
Image by Seiden Perle – Pixabay
