No, the two aren't parallel. Fame may be a result of the thing you are successful for, but to be successful doesn't always make you famous, or fame doesn't ever necessarily mean success. Today, we seem to be mixing the two and we are prioritizing our goals in life incorrectly.
Last night, I read an article about a survey taken on 5-10-year-olds who were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. The top two answers were that they wanted to be rich and famous. I asked my brother, who is currently ten, the same question. His response was, in fact, to be famous as well. So I asked him what he wanted to be famous for and he didn't really understand what I was trying to ask. "What do you mean? I just want to be famous!" Yes but what for? What do you want to accomplish in society that will better the lives of others and have fame just be a bonus, a result of what you have accomplished? "No, that's too much work, I'll just keep making Vine videos, okay?"
We have created monsters. This is what they are exposed to; this is the world they have access to: the entertainment industry and the infamous social media influencers. In result of this unlimited reach into the virtual world, there are no boundaries to what kids are exposed to. They were born into this so they don't know anything else. We can't really blame them, we can only blame ourselves of allowing this to be a priority in their lives. We are raising the next generation to care about how many Instagram followers they have as the definition of being successful, and we are losing the will to want to help others. Social workers are what keep the world alive. Firefighters, doctors, policemen, and essentially the life changers. Where are they? We need more of you.
If parents wanted to actually give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach them to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence. This is the mindset we have to strive towards now moving forward.
Success may often come without fame. However, the way we can approach is it that we can strive for personal and social success and only hope that fame becomes a result of that. There's a difference between wanting to be noticed for your craft and just wanting to be noticed. You can be an incredibly talented writer who has the power to influence lives. This writing process helps you survive your own battles, and maybe even a few of those around you. But to be able to positively influence a large group of the members of society and help them fight through their battles too is a noble act and definitely one to be recognized for. It is these kinds of minds we need to follow and pay attention to. Writers, photographers, positive influencers, creators, the list goes on of the people who create upworthy content.
When you strive to be the best individual you can create for yourself, the money and fame will always follow you. If fame is your primary focus, you might get there, but your 15 minutes of fame will be just that, 15 minutes long. Those who focus on their path, focus only on their talents and allow everything else to be secondary are those who are true game changers. It might take a lot more effort and time to 'make it,' but when they do, their fame becomes concrete in how the world operates and they change history.
Photograph by Camila Cardozo
Last night, I read an article about a survey taken on 5-10-year-olds who were asked what they wanted to be when they grew up. The top two answers were that they wanted to be rich and famous. I asked my brother, who is currently ten, the same question. His response was, in fact, to be famous as well. So I asked him what he wanted to be famous for and he didn't really understand what I was trying to ask. "What do you mean? I just want to be famous!" Yes but what for? What do you want to accomplish in society that will better the lives of others and have fame just be a bonus, a result of what you have accomplished? "No, that's too much work, I'll just keep making Vine videos, okay?"
We have created monsters. This is what they are exposed to; this is the world they have access to: the entertainment industry and the infamous social media influencers. In result of this unlimited reach into the virtual world, there are no boundaries to what kids are exposed to. They were born into this so they don't know anything else. We can't really blame them, we can only blame ourselves of allowing this to be a priority in their lives. We are raising the next generation to care about how many Instagram followers they have as the definition of being successful, and we are losing the will to want to help others. Social workers are what keep the world alive. Firefighters, doctors, policemen, and essentially the life changers. Where are they? We need more of you.
If parents wanted to actually give their children a gift, the best thing they can do is to teach them to love challenges, be intrigued by mistakes, enjoy effort, and keep on learning. That way, their children don’t have to be slaves of praise. They will have a lifelong way to build and repair their own confidence. This is the mindset we have to strive towards now moving forward.
Success may often come without fame. However, the way we can approach is it that we can strive for personal and social success and only hope that fame becomes a result of that. There's a difference between wanting to be noticed for your craft and just wanting to be noticed. You can be an incredibly talented writer who has the power to influence lives. This writing process helps you survive your own battles, and maybe even a few of those around you. But to be able to positively influence a large group of the members of society and help them fight through their battles too is a noble act and definitely one to be recognized for. It is these kinds of minds we need to follow and pay attention to. Writers, photographers, positive influencers, creators, the list goes on of the people who create upworthy content.
When you strive to be the best individual you can create for yourself, the money and fame will always follow you. If fame is your primary focus, you might get there, but your 15 minutes of fame will be just that, 15 minutes long. Those who focus on their path, focus only on their talents and allow everything else to be secondary are those who are true game changers. It might take a lot more effort and time to 'make it,' but when they do, their fame becomes concrete in how the world operates and they change history.
Photograph by Camila Cardozo
