by Coach Miranda Johnson
Most days when I walk our dog Nova, I am plugged into some sort of podcast. I like to use our morning time together to try to learn something and get my knowledge juices flowing. My inspiration for this blog actually came to me earlier this week when I was listening to an episode. In it, the hosts were discussing what life would be like if they were to ever become “real celebrities”.
There was a moment during the episode in which the main host was acknowledging how crazy it would be to have actual real fame and how much that would change his lifestyle. Personally, I don’t envy anyone who is even slightest bit famous. I mean, really take a second to try to wrap your head around the thought of not even being able to go into H-E-B, or walk to a park with your family without constant harassment, pictures, conversations, etc. Even the smallest of tasks for some are unable to be carried out in complete peace or privacy. But even more so, having to deal with essentially having your whole life put out on display for everyone to see, would be a huge challenge and certainly not something I’d enjoy.
Obviously, we can also look at the reverse side having fame. Of course it has its perks as well. But the benefit I want to focus on here, isn’t the big one we all may have at the forefront of our minds. I’m not talking about money or fortune. I want to dive deeper into what good can come from being pushed into uncomfortable situations.
If you think about it, nearly every single celebrity at some point during their time in the lime light (especially those who end up on reality TV), get forced to talk about subjects that they probably would otherwise choose not to. While that may not sound like a positive, I truly believe it really can be, if we change the way we view it.
How many times throughout the day do you have a thought or feeling and choose not to speak up about it? Maybe it’s with your boss at work, a spouse at home, or even when an acquaintance accidentally calls you by the wrong name and you opt not to correct them. I know that for me personally, this can occur a lot, depending on the day’s circumstances. Sometimes we become paralyzed in our fear of what may happen should we actually decide to express ourselves and/or confront a situation. But, what would happen if we were the celebrities and were forced to talk about/face certain things we may otherwise decide not to? How different would that look or feel?
It can become really easy to hide or bury these uncomfortable thoughts/feelings. Maybe we were raised to think that it is easier or even more polite to keep our mouths closed or perhaps we don’t view these thoughts/feelings with the same weight of importance, and therefore, they get procrastinated ,and ultimately forgotten about. This can be an unhealthy behavior or habit, as it often leads to built up anger, guilt, or resentment.
Entertain me for a moment and go through the following exercise:Pretend you’re the immensely famous celebrity. What is the “thing” that makes you recoil the most when you think about potentially having to confront it on live TV? Or just face in general without some sort of audience? Now dive even deeper…How could you start facing it before you were forced to?
Maybe there are a few conversations (with yourself or others) that you’ve put on the back burner for quite some time. For example, maybe you have a friend who you need to mend some dissonance with. If you were being interviewed on television as your famous self, perhaps you’d be asked about why you haven’t been seen out with said friend for a while and therefore would be challenged head-on to confront the issue, which could potentially lead to a talk with the friend and thus, a mending of the relationship.
Areas to reflect on that could need work:
-A Conversation
-A Relationship (with self or others)-A Habit or Behavior
-Unprocessed Trauma/Stress
This exercise forces us to be more honest with ourselves and with those around us. Practice getting more comfortable with speaking up and sharing those thoughts or feelings. Tough conversations almost always lead us to a better place.
What would your celebrity self confront today and how can you make small step towards that growth?