They say you never want to meet your heroes...
I think that's bullshit. Here's why...
So, imagine this: you’ve got a chance to meet your favourite band… author or public figure… do you take it?
Many people would jump at the opportunity and experience the greatest letdown of their lives. But why?
Three Reasons:
God status
Inability/unwillingness to question one’s beliefs
Unreasonable expectations
Stop treating people like Gods…
For today, let’s talk about the God-like status we place on the celebrity. We tend to put celebrity figures on a pedestal as immortal beings who can do no wrong. Which, if you’ve ever met a hero, you know they’re humans and often surfing the same storm as you, just on a different board… ya know?
A huge part of this is the damage social media and in particular, Instagram does to its users, glorifying the “highlight reel” for others to see you and your perfect life. So of course, if you’re doom-scrolling all afternoon and all you see is how awesome this person’s life is, meanwhile, you’re sitting inside scrolling on a phone, missing friends and real authentic human connection… that shit just exasperates the feeling of low-self worth.
Here’s the fix:
One surefire way to avoid disappointment is to realize that all people are just that; people. We all have feelings. We all have hang-ups and deep dark secrets and amazing qualities and superpowers. That includes you too. Start seeing yourself in the same light. Easier said than done, right?
Grab a pen, let me show you how to make this magic happen.
Step 1
Write this down thinking about someone you admire, a hero of sorts… what’s something they have or do that you wish you did? Finish the sentence:
She ___________
He ____________
They __________
Step 2
Now, read that aloud and take a deep breath in. Feel it? What sensation comes up? Where do you feel it in your body?
Step 3
Now change one word. Switch she/he/they for “I”
Read that sentence aloud now. Anything change?
The Power of Projections
We often see in others what we hold in ourselves. Others are the mirror that reflects the good, bad and ugly parts of ourselves. Even celebrities.
If we start to see everyone as a reflection of ourselves…
We’ll start seeing life in the present, have a moment to consider what our feelings mean and I bet we’ll even get better at being better humans. Am I crazy to think this…?
The next time you have an opportunity to meet a hero, I trust you’ll be able to see them as a reflection of you, learn from the experience, good or bad and understand everyone’s out here doing their best. We’re all in the same storm, just on a different boat…
So go out and meet your heroes. Take them off the pedestal. Say hello to everyone. Everyone holds a superpower and if you get off your phone for a minute and take a look around the world you live in, the cafe down the street, the bank, the dog park… you’ve got a bunch of heroes right there in your backyard.
Next week I’ll be back to talk about how failure to challenge our thoughts can lead to misery and resentment when we meet those heroes we respect.
Thanks for hanging out today, make it a great Monday!
-
M
Ps. It’s 2024, hooray! I’ve activated subscriptions for my content now! Please consider supporting my thought leadership articles for deeper dives than I get into on the weekly digest, vlogs, behind-the-scenes content and more creative content to help you connect and get more of what you want from life. And, if this is good for you, that’s also cool. I appreciate you.
