Winning Against the Odds

Celebrity deaths give us a jolt. It doesn’t matter who they are and how they became famous and what genre of the Arts they belong to; every loss touches a core in our soul.

When celebrities are alive, they are labelled fairly and unfairly by the media but, when they die, those labels fizzle out and we  are catapulted into the realisation of the fragility of life and how we are all, all of us, mere mortals.

 

Yet, when they are alive, we are so quick to point fingers, place blame and ridicule them when we believe that our lives are so different and so separate from theirs. But, when a celebrity dies, somehow in their death, they suddenly become equals and mortal and as human as we are and, not from a world that is so different from ours.

In dying, we are taken aback and catapulted into the realisation that celebrities are as mortal and human as we are and no matter how wealthy, how ethereal, how talented; they too can die and, suddenly too.

So what does this mean? What can we learn from this?

Whether you follow the lives of celebrities or not, we all somehow get to hear about their passing one way or another.  Those celebrity deaths that resonate with us, impact our lives for that moment and in that moment, we become one with them; we empathize with their families and friends and colleagues because we all understand loss in every sense of the word.

Lesson 1:  Don’t underestimate your mortality and don’t take life for granted.

It is your responsibility to take the fragility of life more seriously because, we aren’t going to live forever and when we die we leave behind loved ones; friends, family and children and so do celebrities.

Therefore, whilst alive, we must try to live in a way that we give more, say more, do more and treat people better because, you never know whom you will lose next or if you are next.

Celebrities share their gifts with us whether it is bringing the life of a character into our homes on TV or through  dance in theaters,  on film, or through their paintings, voices and music.

It is your duty that, anytime you hear about a celebrity death, you take that moment to reflect on your life and let it be the beginning or continuation in reaching out and acknowledging those around you and celebrating their lives as well as your own.

Begin by simply doing and saying things you should but normally wouldn’t  or, doing favours for people because you know you can and because, no one should take anyone’s mortality and life for granted including your own.

I lost my mother on March 17^th 2011 and no one could have told me that my very healthy, very alive, loving, kind, vivacious, young at heart, beautiful, giving mother would not live another year.  She was the celebrity in my life and by that, I mean that I looked up to her, I admired her and learnt so much from her. She was also very well known for her big heart.

I couldn’t go anywhere with my mummy without someone; adult, child or teenager, or street kid calling her name or stopping to talk to her.  And, she always had something to give to them whether it was clothing, food, kind words, great advice.  The point is, she gave of herself selflessly and she was no pushover either!

So, don’t wait until it is too late to do something nice for someone else and for you. You are also as important as the next person and you need to live in a way that you too can celebrate your life everyday. Celebrating your life means taking care of your mind, your body and soul; your overall wellness.

 Lesson 2: You too have gifts worth sharing

Look around you and not too far; there are celebrities in your life and you needn’t have to read about them in the papers or hear about them on TV or on the Internet because, a celebrity is just someone who is well known and celebrated.

To put it in lay-man terms, it is someone who stands-out in your universe from the courteous dispatcher who is known by everyone in the firm including the clients because he delivers good service; to the chief in the village who works hard for his community, to the cousin who takes care of all family matters. They too are celebrities in their universe.

So, take time out of your busy day and share the gifts you possess and become a celebrity in your community. Gifts are things we do selflessly  because we can. It is about being able and making time to read a bedtime story, peel an orange for someone else without them having to ask you; giving up your seat for someone older or younger on the bus.

It isn’t about the big things because; in the eyes and heart of the receiver you will be celebrated. This is what I term ‘celebritism’. It is being well known not because you are in the media but because you reach out to people in your universe and help them and give of yourself and let them know that you care, that you are there when they need you, always (but not foolishly so, to where it cripples you).

I know that in my life, it is the friend who comes over with a cooked meal for my dad because they know that my mum isn’t around to do so; something she did with love and enjoyed doing.

When you give of yourself you will find that you and the people close to you benefit tremendously and those you share your gifts or give love to, return it a thousand-fold, many times over even when you’ve passed on.

So, the next time you are accosted by media headlines about a celebrity death, even those you never knew or heard about, see it as a celebration of your life and theirs and a reminder of your mortally.

Take that moment to inhale, reflect and realign your journey to one that will reap results today and tomorrow, for the benefit of those close to you even long after you are gone.