Best Reality Check

Maria Shriver shares her experiences with fame.

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First lady of California, Kennedy family member, TV journalist, bestselling author: Maria Shriver has had her share of fame, and then some. But when she read that kids' main goal these days is "to be famous," she had to speak up. The speech below, delivered at her nephew's high school graduation last June, is included in her new book, Just Who Will You Be?

"Famous people always seem to look happy. They always look rich. They always look thin. If they're fat, they'll be thin next week. But for whatever it's worth (and since I'm kind of famous, it might be worth something), fame isn't a worthy goal. Fame can't make you happy, in and of itself. It can't make you feel worthy. It can't give you a life of meaning and joy. That, I've learned, is strictly an inside job. The only way you can come to feel good about yourself and to find a life of meaning and joy is to find your own path. Live your own life, not an imitation of someone else's.

"We live in a world that seems to put a premium on the trappings of fame. But figuring out who you are and fulfilling your own dreams -- that's a worthy goal. The people I've met who are happiest in their lives, famous or not, have done just that.

"So ask yourself what you want to be famous for. And set your sights high -- because you can be famous for doing something great in this world, something that matters, something that makes life better. We need famous people with integrity, character, and vision, people who want to lead, who want to make the world a more peaceful and compassionate place -- where people feel accepted and valued for who they are."

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From Reader's Digest - May 2008

 

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