DID YOU SAY YOU WANT TO BE FAMOUS???

The feeling of being widely known and esteemed universally can be elating: the crazy love from admirers, shouts of approval from followers, thumbs up from supporters, sacrificial support from devotees, priceless partnership from allies, dirty fights against rivals by enthusiasts, and all the paparazzi that comes with eminence, can give a godlike sensation that makes you soon forget how human you are. Even when you try to remember, many who know you, gladly forget.

According to statistics, only 0.1% of the world’s population make it to the celebrity circle, and finding yourself in that cadre will surely attract so many things: the good, the bad, and the ugly. The feeling of being in a position where the world appreciates your wonderfulness is no doubt priceless. But if you take a quick run through history, you’ll find that many who attained that enviable height ended up being victims of their wonderfulness.

First thing’s first, when you show yourself to the world and display your talents, you stir all kinds of resentment, envy, and other manifestations of insecurity, especially from the closest of associates. It becomes difficult to know who has your best interest at heart and who may be out to do you ugly, or at the least, take advantage of foul deeds you performed in your weak moments to prey on your status; a thing that has plagued many stars with paranoia.


But like the mafias say, “misfortunes always come in by the door left open for them.” Howbeit, no matter how much you stay closed to the outside world, the fact remains that the day you decide to be a celebrity, you trade your privacy with whoever nurtures enough curiosity to search you out. Interestingly, that curiosity grows and never fades until you’re off the celebrity radar. Don’t get it twisted though, the woes of fame aren’t only based on those external factors.

Being in the spotlight can foster self-destruction: a sudden arrogance, constant neediness of approval, living to impress without upholding honesty, pride, insolence, inability to handle criticism, superiority complex, and lots more. Eventually, all you get up there is loneliness, even with the enormous attention that never stops flooding in as long as you’re up there. Many try to curry favor with you for personal gains like fame by association, extravagant living, and whatnot.

Love predators are not left out of the picture, as they offer you an aesthetically pleasing romance in exchange for a hefty portion of the wealth your fame earns you. Overly insecure fellows try to rub dust on your image by digging out ugly details of your past and putting them out in the open. If you tend to be void of such details, they create them for you, using your weaknesses to lure you into despicable blunders. The aim is to make you appear less special after all.

Let me tell you the infamous story of Stan and Jeff. Stan and Jeff were given an apple each. Stan ate his apple while Jeff preserved his own apple. Shortly after, a notice surfaced, praising Apple preservers. Stan, who had eaten his apple, got bitter and began resenting Jeff who still had his apple intact. But Jeff had no idea about Stan’s resentment of him. One day, Jeff was tempted to take a bite of his apple. Stan noticed him and became very observant.

The moment Jeff opened his mouth to take a bite, Stan ran off and told the world that Jeff had finally eaten his apple and is no different; a difference Jeff never boasted of. Stan became happy again. Making Jeff look less special cured his insecurity. It then dawned on Jeff that although alphabets join together to form unique life-giving words, some have the tendency of bringing death on others over just about anything; even self-imposed failures. Jeff learnt his lesson the hard way.

Love is the greatest thing in the world. Fame wins you love as much as it wins you hate. When you get love on account of your fame, it is only natural that you give back the love, possibly in an even greater measure. Therefore, when gangsters started advising that you love and trust no one because love can get you killed, anti-gangsters condemned the saying. How on earth can the greatest thing in the world get you killed for goodness sake?

But then, lots of bereave anti-gangsters owe their deaths to the love and trust they had for fellow anti-gangsters. That situation worsens when you step on the world’s stages to showcase yourself. Considering these cons of fame, many potentially famous folks have brushed aside the idea of fame in order to enjoy wealth without the unpleasant dramas that fame brings. But despite this, a vast number of persons do unbelievable things to achieve even mediocre fame.

It’s one thing to achieve fame; it’s another thing to maintain it. Achieving fame can be elating; losing fame can be depressing. So, when next you covet fame, take a moment to question yourself over certain things like: are you ready for the hate? the possible blackmails? judgements? cyber bullying? persecutions? questionable love? looming betrayal? possible scandals? and all the other CONS of fame? not leaving out its life-sweetening and untold PROS?

This brings us to the ultimate question: DID YOU SAY YOU WANT TO BE FAMOUS, given all these CONS? Well, if you ask me, I say TO HELL WITH THE CONS!!! I don’t just want to be famous; I want to be MORE FAMOUS THAN MONEY. Who doesn’t know money? If they’re such people, rest assured they’re gonna know me (#winks). A principle at the back of my mind though: work smart to earn a living, inspire the world, be scandal free, and keep a clear conscience. In all these, always endeavor to be in tune with God, and very importantly, FALL IN LOVE (#winks again).

©Jezuzboi, 2019.