Making New Choices
I recently had lunch at a local restaurant called Star Café. Gazing at the walls of photos of Hollywood stars, I began to think about what really makes a person a “star.” Of course, when it comes to Hollywood, we recognize stars immediately—they are beautiful, charismatic, interesting, unique, rich, famous, fashionable and talented (although that last one might be questionable). But in life outside Hollywood, what really makes a person a star?
In our own lives we collect “stars” from an early age. You probably have great memories of teachers, friends, family and mentors you consider to be stars—people who impacted your life in a positive way. What made these people stars? The simple answer is that they embodied qualities you admire. Did you ever really think about what those qualities or characteristics were? Were they smart, courageous, kind, generous, assertive, organized, successful, funny, daring, loving, dependable, honest, hard working, peaceful, patient? Why were the qualities demonstrated by these stars so important to you?
What most of us don’t stop to think about is that we can be our own stars. In the movie that is our life, we can change our character and our script simply by making new choices. With just one “stroke of the pen” we can change our lives in very significant ways. That’s a powerful feeling! By focusing on developing the qualities we admire in others, we can change the way we show up in the world. A mentor of mine reminds me frequently that everything we think, do and say is an act of self-definition. How satisfied are you with your current self-definition? What changes would you like to make in your personal and professional life so that you could be your own star?
