I Would Only Want Fame if This Were True

Many famous people implode.  For instance, they turn to heavy drug abuse to cope with celebrity status.  And I recently looked at a disturbing autobiography about a high-profile model victimized by Hollywood.  I couldn’t “unsee” what I saw, which terrified me, so I won’t elaborate on it further.

But the point is, I would only want fame if one condition was met: it was sought with love for God, love for all people, or ideally both.

Take our friend Elvis Presley.  He started singing gospel music.  But pursuing fame led him to take an extreme amount of prescription medications, which exasperated his struggles with addictions and health issues.  Had he stuck to a low-key life singing gospel music, he may have led a happier life.

And recently, I’ve been reading about Olympians.  That’s because if Sikhism, Buddhism, and Hinduism are correct, and there is such a thing as reincarnation, I want to become an Olympian next lifetime.  And what better time to prepare than right now.

Olympians tend to love the training.  But to my shock, I’ve learned that many Olympians grow hyper-critical of themselves if they don’t win Olympic medals.  And some of these Olympians have broken records and won many non-Olympic competitions.  Still, they struggle to celebrate the heroes they indeed are.  Of course, all living beings are heroic by the nature of their journey.  But Olympians surely amplify this trait.

Therefore, I wondered if the Olympic fame was worth it, given the self-critical attitude that can result from losses.  For instance, would a joy for non-competitive training be a better pursuit? There was a movie about two Olympians that made me reconsider this.  In the movie Chariots of Fire, based on a true story, one of the Olympian athletes ran races for the “glory of God.” That, to me, meant he competed and trained for “love.” And the motivation of love makes the thought of Olympic fame- or any sort of fame- desirable.

I’m certainly not an Olympian, but when I exercise, I use those endorphins to send love to you and all humanity.  I dwell on how all living beings are created by the divine.  And I strive to give my best to all living entities, including insects, birds, grass, and trees.

With that said, some Olympians get their fire from hatred, others from love.  The ones driven by love are ideal heroes, regardless of wins or losses.  And the ones motivated by hate are just as deserving of love.  That’s because every soul is gold.  I have no right to judge anyone, but I seek to love all creation.

So, if reincarnation exists, I’ll strive for Olympic fame in my next life.  But I’d only choose to do so if done in the name of love.