As a person who lived a large portion of his academic life in Los Angeles, I find writing this article quite nostalgic as this month’s theme is celebrities. In reality, celebrities are normal people just like you and I. They have fears, doubts, insecurities, competition, jealousy, depression, talent, skills, goals and achievements. 

The primary difference is that everything they do is magnified and blown up for the world to see thanks to modern technology and the media.  In a world of diminishing substance, celebrities are the new culture (or should I say Pop-Culture) who dictate what’s cool , what’s hot and what’s not and before we know it; we want their hair styles, clothes, diets, noses, attitudes right down to their anti depressants.  Even consumerism is now somewhat dependent on celebrity endorsement to gain new market share. 

Having said all that, there are a number of celebrities one can look at with great respect for their talents and achievements.  When Tom Hanks lost all that weight for his role in Cast Away, or how Tom Cruise overcame his limitations with his severe dyslexia and grew into one of the most talented actors of his time, or Madonna who was unknown in the early eighties and grew to be an icon of trends, fashion and music (and in time a Legend). And let us not forget the Austrian village boy who chiselled himself into being the governor of the world’s sixth largest economy – yes, Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Such people offer us valuable lessons in self belief and inspire us by defying the challenges and obstacles they’ve come across.  They not only have the self belief to achieve their goals, but the imagination to make it happen as well.     

The last forty years has been a fascinating time in the field of psychology, for there has been a lot of research done on what makes some people successful and others not. The core and primary difference between such groups is that successful people look at failures as setbacks and bad results they can learn from.  In other words every single time they fell flat on their face, they bounced right back up and re-attempted their goal.  Failures are simply lessons we can learn from.  Feeling victimized and pitying ones self will merely fuel a destructive pattern of behaviour which will dishearten and hurt you.  Even a success such as Richard Branson once said: “I have learned more from my failures that my successes”. 

So how did Tom Hanks lose all that weight, how did Madonna keep coming back so successfully and how on earth did Arnold pull that off?  To answer that we must not look at what they did, but rather at what and how they thought.  Thought is the most powerful energy there is. In fact, as you’re reading this article, have a look around the room you’re in; everything began with a single thought.  A single thought is like a spark, it has excellent potential but it does need action as a catalyst to materialize it into great results.  After all, as Anatole France puts it: “The rarest courage is the courage of thought”.  

The challenge that many people seem to struggle with is putting thoughts into action.  They want things to happen quick and easy, and this is where it all goes pear shape.  The key is to set the right goals for you and not what others expect from you.  Ultimately “The most important choice you make is what you choose to make important” Michael Neill

Here’s what you need to do:

Firstly, to achieve your goals, you must make sure they complement your personal values.  Your values are simply the fibres of your being and the moral compass that points the way for you.  This is crucial because if there is a clash between your goals and values – you will automatically self-sabotage.

Secondly, create a plan of action that is filled with as many options as you possibly can muster.  The more options you have the higher the probability of success.  Get creative and think of all the possible ways for approach.  Remember, Action = Re-Action

Thirdly, look at a failure as a bad result you can learn from and not the end result.  Remember, if your plans, tactics and strategies are failing – you’re not! Simply change your approach and stay flexible and committed.  As W. F Amos once said: “Commitment lets you know that failure is not failure, but an idea on its way to success”.

Fourthly, feel responsible and not detached when tackling your goals. Remember, the price of greatness is responsibility, so take it and be methodical in your approach, but make sure you enjoy the process.  You’ll perform better if you do it with heart and optimism. 

Finally, it is much better to aim for a "good enough" result, rather than a "perfect" one. The "good enough" result usually ends up being better than the perfect one, because when we aim at a realistic target, we usually surprise ourselves with the result we achieve.  Note that if you want to run 1000 Kilometres, it is better to run 1 Kilometre a thousand times.  Believe it and you’ll do it. 

There is much we can learn from celebrities, how to achieve, how to overcome obstacles and how to enjoy life and have a laugh while working hard at what we’re doing.  Every sub-culture has weaknesses and demons we best avoid, in this case superficiality and professional lying otherwise known as acting; as well as lessons we can learn from and apply to our own lives- lessons such as will power and imagination. 

Until next time…..Live don’t just exist!

©Taymour Qabazard, 2005

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