Ouch! Did You Just Call Me a Has-Been?
Most people cringe when they realize their day in the sun is over—or, more kindly stated, when their day in the sun has turned into an evening in the twilight. I know it seriously pained my ego the first time I was called “ma’am” and the person who said it really meant it. Or when I realized those gray hairs really were here to stay.
Though, from what I hear from my clients, being called ma’am or admitting we’re getting (ouch!) old is nothing compared to being labled a “has-been.”
This is one of those very common points in the arc of fame. Almost every “Somebody” does become a “Nobody” or worse, a “Who? I don’t remember you!” It’s ridiculously common, yet can be so painful that nobody likes to talk about it. Perhaps because ‘fame’ in this country is so present moment that to admit the moment ends kind of messes with the whole illusion and tarnishes the American Dream…
So, if you’re sick to your stomach over someone calling you a has-been, let’s back up a minute and reorient you.
Life is all about change. We all start as children, turn into teenagers, grow into young adults (start thinking this will all last forever) and then—like clockwork, we get older. Eventually we get even older. Eventually…Well, you know the rest. The thing is, if we didn’t get older, there’d be no room for our children, for new life, for the future. The cycle of fame is no different—fame comes on, reaches it’s height, and (in most cases) ebbs as others reach their height. It’s a job that doesn’t have a lengthy shelf life.
But you know what?
This only matters if you think your only value is in your job; in being “who you are.”
I know, sucks, doesn’t it? All this time, you were thinking that your actual value as a person came from who people thought you were.
I know when I hit my midlife crisis, I felt like I’d been hit by a car—I mean, who am I if I’m not young, vibrant, and cute?
And who are you if you’re not famous? (Or worse, who are you if you WERE famous but barely anyone remembers that it happened?)
Many of my clients struggle with this—and the good news is that YOU were never famous to begin with—YOU are the same YOU you’ve always been. You just mistakenly thought for a second that your fame WAS you and it’s not. Our job is to work together to unearth the REAL you so that you can see how supremely lucky you are to be you, to have lived the experiences you’ve lived, and to create more of them. Your life isn’t over. In fact, what if it’s just beginning?
Tags: celebrity coach, Celebrity Coaching, celebrity has been, celebrity life coach, has been, where are they now?
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