Michael Jackson and the High
Cost of Fame: There is a Lesson for All of Us
Coming from a family of entertainers with a demanding
stage-dad, Michael Jackson had been in the limelight
since he was a young boy. Super stardom was all he knew.
Although talented, famous and adored, his was a lonely
life - one full of contradictions. He tried to create
his own private reality around castles, theme parks
and pet chimpanzees. In his own mind he was a modern-day
Peter Pan. In the mind of others he was "Wacko
Jacko" and his bizarre behavior often overshadowed
his musical brilliance.
Jackson was living proof of the emotional cost of a
life spent in the public eye, often experiencing the
psychological turmoil that can accompany global fame.
He was fragile and, because of his sensitive nature,
delicate personality or preexisting emotional problems,
it was hard for him to handle the pressure.
You may have been entertained by Michael Jackson, as
so many were. But, more important, you may understand
how he could be affected by the strain of it all. Pressure
- about finances, work, family or health - can really
get to you. Follow some of these tips and learn what
to do when you feel your life is spinning out of control:
1. Give yourself an emotional
break. You may be building up feelings of
frustration, anger or disappointment, even despair.
Take a deep breath and free yourself from negative thoughts.
Although you can't necessarily change what happens to
you, you can change how you handle it. Reframe pessimistic
ideas into neutral or optimistic ones. By learning about
constructive responses to difficult situations, you'll
have access to more choices about how to react.
2. Get the help you need now.
Work with an individual therapist or a life coach who
will guide your healing as you decide how to move forward.
It's important to develop positive self-regard, confidence
and the life skills for this. The therapy should focus
on areas like anger management and stress reduction.
Stay in treatment as long as you need in order to figure
out why you're having these feelings and what to do
about them.
3. For a problem with drug
addiction, get help through a treatment center.
Abusing prescription drugs can be medically dangerous,
so be sure to find a center that specializes in prescription
drug withdrawal and rehabilitation. A treatment program
that confronts addiction directly will also address
other problems you face and help you find solutions
that will prevent a relapse.
4. Focus your thoughts on
what you can accomplish rather than on what you cannot.
Release your mind from worries and try to work on feeling
more empowered. Be grateful for what you have by getting
outside yourself and focusing on others in need. Set
goals and then begin to follow through with your plans
by taking small steps.
5. Honor your body by noticing
what makes you feel better, both physically and emotionally.
Pay attention to your exercise routine, what
you eat, your sleeping habits and what gives you pleasure.
Reduce the situations that cause stress and increase
the ones that make you feel healthier and more alive.
Spend time relaxing and rejuvenating as you counteract
burnout. Attend to your mind and your spirit - set aside
quiet time to practice your own form of meditation.
6. Implement what you know
about resiliency. Recognize how your character
strengths support what you do. Integrate your values
and ideals into how you view the world. Knowledge is
power, so use it to your advantage. Gather information
about ways to deal with how you are feeling - explore
Internet search engines or the self-help section of
bookstores. Release tension through laughter and watch
yourself begin to bounce back.
There's something wrong when our society sees fame
and celebrity as core values. The intensity of the public
spotlight can be traumatic in and of itself. And it's
sad that the power to create and destroy is in the hands
of pop culture and the media. A gentle soul and vulnerable,
Michael Jackson's life was open to public commentary
and scrutiny. It looks like perhaps it was just too
much for him.
Don't let anything like that happen to you. If you're
having a hard time coping, develop the tools and strategies
that can make a difference in your life. And trust yourself
as you look inside for greater self-understanding and
answers to your problems. Use any emotional discomfort
you may feel as the signal for a chance to grow.
Other Articles by Rosemary & Phyllis:
Launching
your "Kidult"
Caring for
an Aging Parent with Dementia, Alzheimers, Stroke
How Boomers
can Sing "Rock & Roll" Instead of the
Blues
Taking a Staycation
Survive the
New Economy with Shared Housing
What We Can
Learn from Ted Kennedy
Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D. and Rosemary Lichtman,
Ph.D.
www.HerMentorCenter.com
Blog: www.NourishingRelationships.blogspot.com
Los Angeles, California
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article and accompanying tips are fully copyrighted
by the author, but can be reprinted without permission
provided the article links back to this page: http://www.800Muses.com/muse-profiles/muses-rosemary-and-phyllis2.htm
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