Apart from the fact that I hate having my picture taken, hardly ever wear makeup and can barely walk in heels, being a celebrity would scare the living daylights out of me. Just imagine the constant sound of the paparazzi. Snapping your every move. Nothing is private. Not your Parisian vacation nor your Hawaiian getaway.
Why do you think that so many celebs walk around in chinos with massively oversized hoodies practically covering their entire faces? let’s face it, they want to be incognito. And to be able to grab their lattes in peace without a bunch of sleazy paparazzi’s bombarding them. Celebrities don’t really have privacy. Their lives aren’t fully theirs. And it’s this sheer lack of privacy that I would not be able to deal with.
Yet for many, to magically transform into a celebrity overnight would be a dream come true. A real-life fairy tale. To never have to even worry about worrying about money. There would just be so much to go around you could practically stop working. And doesn’t that sound like the real deal? This (very much imaginary) life would most likely be filled with gigantic Malibu houses where you have a floor for each kid, fat trust funds, bottomless bank accounts, cool cars, oh and then the parties. Those uber-glam parties where thousands upon thousands are spent on haute couture and bedazzling jewellery. Take the Met Gala (‘tax the rich’ dress, ring a bell?) where tickets are $35k (per person!) and tables range from $200k-$300k. Pocket change, I suppose.
The darker side to fame
But all we see are the glam parties, fancy homes and rings the size of rocks. What we don’t see is literally everything else. The security guard that has to accompany the celebrities’ kids to school. Or the fact that Kim K simply can’t take her son out for an ice-cream just the two of them. Their lives don’t really belong to them. Then there’s the fans. And the not-fans. The trolls, death threats and hate mail. Many resort to drowning their sorrows with everything from drinks to drugs. To numb the pain to try and make it all go away. From Amy Winehouse’s tragic overdose to Lady Di’s untimely death, fame lay at the heart of it all.
When people see dripping wealth and all those dollar signs what they don’t see is what goes on behind closed doors. They don’t see the battles they fight. On a daily basis. With money – and public money – comes a heck of a lot of problems.
You gotta work at it
The first one that springs to mind is relationships. These ones are never easy, celebrity or not. They require constant attention and care. And they’re hard work. Relationships don’t flourish overnight. Dating someone IRL is not like it is in the fairy tales. Sorry folks. It’s (most likely) not love at first sight and he probably isn’t Prime Charming who will sweep you off your feet. Not at first anyway! But if you’re willing to stick around for long enough, something magical will certainly happen.
See when you have pots of money, and when everyone knows you have these pots, your once-sacred relationships can become ever so difficult. You’re always second-guessing yourself wondering whether your partner/friends are with you for your money or for the real You. It becomes ever so hard to trust people. Guards get put up. Ones that may never come down.
Be Yourself
Then comes the Botox, the fillers, the nose jobs, the boob jobs and all the other jobs. These folk are forever doing themselves up that they’ve forgotten how to be au naturale. In its purest form. Think Love Island-style.
I don’t watch the show; it ain’t quite my cuppa tea. But whenever those newbie celebs pop up in the news, I can’t help but noticing just how done-up they look. Seeing a girl with thin lips seems to be a rarity.
I wish these people would stop and realise just how beautiful they are. We’re all different. We look differently, feel differently and think differently. How boring would it be if we were to all be the same? So why do these people keep on spending more money trying to look like everyone else but themselves?
Embrace who you are. Learn to fall in love with yourself. You are enough and no amount of botox or lip fillers is gonna change that. Why waste your time (and money) trying to look like others. Focus on being the best version of yourself. Be the original; not a copy.
Control your socials
Trust me, so many celebs would love to live a live of constant incognito. So appreciate the privacy you have but look after it. We all have social media. It’s 2021. But be weary of posting pics of yourself 24/7. It’s incredibly easy for someone to build a profile of you. If you’re a regular poster someone may be able to identify where you live, where you dine and what places you visit on a regular basis. All from some seemingly innocent photos. So, be careful what you post online. And do not post any exact locations. If you do have an insta account, make it private (unless it’s a business account) so that you can have control over who sees your private pics.
Do you really want strangers knowing where you sip your coffee on a Tuesday afternoon at 4pm?
Look inside
The grass is not always greener on the other side. Many celebrities would literally give anything in the world to trade their life with yours. To have the chance of living an average, happy life. Devoid of fame, fans and fakery. We all spend far too much time wishing we were someone else. Wishing we had more. Wishing we were more and wishing we could do more. But you are enough. You have everything you need to become as success, whatever that means to You.
Trust me, I’ve wasted enough time wishing I had this and wishing I was that. But I realised I was given all that I need to make things work. This mindset forces you to look within, to go deeper and find That Thing that makes you special, different and unique. Once you’ve found it, don’t let it go. Keep building it and working on it.
Nothing worthwhile ever came easily and if you want something badly enough, you’ll work at it. And we’re all working toward something. Whether it’s landing your first job, a promotion or even start that side hustle you’ve always wanted, it starts with you.
Put in the work and the work will work for you. And, when you’ve come out the other side, that feeling will be immeasurable.
So don’t wish away your life. Cherish what you have and realise that what you already have, others may be praying for.
Disclaimer: This blog is not investment or financial advice. It is my opinion only. This blog is not a personal recommendation to buy/sell any security, or to adopt any such investment strategy. Always do your own research before you commit to any investment.
Knead Your Dough 