I sat in a café some 3000 metres above the sea on top of the Swiss Alps doing some of my mathematics studies during the World Economic Forum in Davos when a group of men walked in and almost immediately people were rushing to take selfies with one of them – applauding him and shaking his hand. At about 6 foot 6” (2m) tall and a big build I guessed he was some sort of athlete but could not put a name or sport to the face. After the group left the café the waiter informed me that he was one of the most famous boxers in the world, from Russia.
This left me wondering… all the celebrations, congratulations and well-wishes – what are they actually for?
For the record, if two men, or women, both want to get in a ring and punch each other in the heads, then by all means that is up to them… their bodies, their lives.
The point here is more about the interest and devotion that this sort of activity garners. And so the questions that come to me are:
- How are we at a place where millions of people use pay-per-view to watch from home and many more spend the equivalent of thousands of dollars to travel to and attend such an event?
AND…
- Where have we really come to as a society if, apart from perhaps the consent of both parties, things have not changed since the times of the Colosseum?
A fascinating part in all this is that if we show someone a video of a man being horribly and brutally beaten, it will in most cases receive gasps and looks of disgust. But then if you were to explain that the person had consented, it all becomes okay – yes? Where does this incoherence stop? If it is okay to commit an act of violence with consent, are we then able to commit murder with consent? If that’s too much to stomach, are we then able to perform random unregulated amputations with consent? Would this too attract a large crowd and vast sums of money? Who does and how does one draw the line of distinction between what is acceptable under the guise of consent and what is not?
With all the issues going on in the world at the moment – wars, corruption, poverty, cancer, mental illnesses, suicide, female genital mutilation, sex trafficking all the way down to lack of self-worth, lack of confidence and body issues to name but a few – SURELY there are ways of spending our time, energy and money that benefit us rather than punching us in the face, literally speaking.
I count myself blessed to know what I consider celebrities to be: real people doing real jobs in such a way that is worthy of celebration – and then some!
Serge Benhayon and his family have become a massive part of my life, from the most inspiring chats over dinner to workshops and presentations that not only give me the opportunity and support to bring out the best in me, but at the same time show me how humanity has gotten into this particular point on its derailed trajectory. The Benhayon family, the most ordinary extraordinary group of people, have shown me what deep down I have always known – that there is a way to live life without letting life live you. In other words, we can be in life empowered through our wise and loving choices without being what life wants us to be.
This to me is something that not only I have not seen anywhere else, but in fact the opposite has been cemented; the idea that without (especially tertiary) education you cannot be successful; the concept that marriage is a ‘compulsory’ part of a ‘complete’ life (you only have to look at the divorce rates to see the falsity of this one); the belief that what we make of ourselves career-wise is who we are, and by that token if we are a cleaner or serving in McDonalds then we are not worthy contributors to the all as much as perhaps the Rolls-Royce riding rich are.
So, when I go to celebrate someone, my first question is: what are they contributing to society? Are they accelerating our evolution or are they delaying it? A good space to ask ourselves another question here – what is evolutionary about punching another in the head to the point that their facial features get distorted, permanently damaged and or they even become comatose? Which part of this disturbing factual scenario is entertaining? Our money’s worth?
If the external is glamorised and made to be everything, then I would suggest that this perpetuates the current plague of self-doubt, lack of self-worth and self-abuse we are all witnessing in large doses in society at the moment. Not something I personally care to celebrate.
If it is that we are already everything, already amazing, beautiful and awe-inspiring before we even take a step to do something, if it is that we are so much greater as a society than the way we are choosing to live, if it is that there is absolute GOLD just waiting to be unlocked in each and every person that walks this planet – surely, living THAT is what we should be investing in and celebrating.
And that is what I continue to celebrate, for as a very caring young man, to see us all gently rise out of the predicament we have taken ourselves into would make my heart sing.
True celebrities are men and women who dedicate their lives to know themselves through their innate love, wisdom and light, not through fame, recognition or glamour.
By Michael Brown, Maths Student and Manager in Retail
Related Reading:
Are Humans Insane?
Serge Benhayon – A True Man
Words on Serge Benhayon 
Be caught up in being a celebrity or being fixated on bettering this one life distract us from the fact that this is one, yes one, of hundreds of lives we have had and it is time we awaken to this fund-a-mental truth about our lives and thus expose one of the greatest lies perpetrated on humanity.
True celebration is not for an individual but for the love and brotherhood shared with all.
So true Mary, and could it be sisterhood is the opening to what we can bring to humanity first?
Those who make life about people are definitely worth celebrating.
Learning to play is so much fun and we can Truly enjoy being together sharing but as soon as it becomes a sport it sorts itself into a competition and distracts us from being together and separates us into our individuality, and thus disconnects us further from our Essences, Inner-most-hearts / Souls. When connected we can evolve.
It’s a strange thing that if someone appears on TV, they can garner a celebrity status even if they are not truly contributing to society or inspiring values such as decency, respect, care of others, etc. In fact, you can be a celebrity for being narcissistic, selfish and vacuous – but looking great! We apparently hate this in politicians but love it in others on TV – it’s not making much sense is it? I’m not a fan of anything that doesn’t advance us equally and inspire a deeper cohesiveness and equality in society.
I agree with you Michael that by attending the Universal Medicine courses and workshops I have discovered “that there is a way to live life without letting life live you. In other words, we can be in life empowered through our wise and loving choices without being what life wants us to be.” This is a great offering to the world and one which we do not fully appreciate yet as we are still in the out play of our choices, believing we can get away with our disregard towards ourselves and others.
Celebrity status is usually equated to money. The sad example of the violence in a boxing ring is compounded by those watching baying for blood and betting large sums of money on the outcome. True celebrity walks gently beside us inspiring us to be true to who we are.
True appreciation, of our essences is a celebration we can live every day, and as this is the sacredness of our living ways a natural deepening happens.
When we see someone bashing themselves in a boxing ring, or playing rugby etc, we celebrate that. But when someone looks after themselves caringly and with deep respect for themselves and their body and others, we ignore it or worse yet we criticise it or condemn it. Does this make sense? How much are we being controlled to not express the real core of who we are?
You raise a great point Henrietta why is it that we criticise others because they are taking care of themselves? Do we criticise because we are being shown up in our own disregard.
Thank you Michael for highlighting in this blog the crazy things that we celebrate in this world! The other day I saw an advertisement for Rugby lessons for toddlers. To me this is just as crazy how from an even younger age when a toddlers body is still so sensitive and tender, we are now encouraging them to shut down from what they are feeling. And of course it goes without saying that this “Rugby for Tots” could only have been developed from our shutting down in other ways to begin with and hence is only an honest expression of where we have allowed ourselves to come to as a society to then accept and celebrate a toddler learning rugby.
As you have mentioned Michael we haven’t really moved on from the Roman times and the entertainment of the Amphitheaters.
There are even people that have become celebrities because their group of friends are mainly celebrities. Are these just pilot fish?
It’s a great question – ‘What’s really worth celebrating?’ and it really makes me realise how we do not stop to feel the true quality and value but instead so easily get tantalized by stimulation, just like those birds that collect anything as long as they are shiny. ‘Celebrity’ – it’s such a funny word. To me it comes with this sense of pseudo-worshipping that is just so ready to turn its back on as soon as it finds something more entertaining.
It is sad when people that do very little in life get accolade that does not in any way support humanity and those that commit their life to supporting humanity, work unnoticed and for some even vilified and attacked.
If we look very closely at what gets attacked and what doesn’t, we’ll see what challenges the model of life and what contributes to it.
Spot on Michael – no different to the huge attack by the media and others on Serge Benhayon, who is one of the most humble and caring and respectful people I have ever met. You must ask why so much attack on one person and an organisation? Could it be that there is something being delivered that is deeply evolving for humanity that some are choosing to resist and try to put a stop to?
It can’t be easy going down the ‘celeb’ road as it constantly needs feeding. It seems as though even stardom doesn’t fill the emptiness as many go on to abuse drugs and alcohol, some get involved heavily into charities to bring a sense of fullness and purpose. Without purpose, we are lost.
‘Are they accelerating our evolution or are they delaying it? ‘ Great question. It’s a great question to ask my self in regard to how I am and also in respect of the relationships in my life. Am I choosing a relationship to evolve me or to keep me where I am in comfort?
I’ve read about internet video stars and how anyone can now be famous with the advent of the internet. But with that fame comes demand and eventual burn out as the demand to constantly post videos on a regular basis or loose followers in the thousands is an ever looming threat. I have a youtube channel and just posting once a week was a pressure I didn’t enjoy, all for the sake of a like or view. It’s not worth it and since dumping that posting schedule it’s much easier and lighter. Anything done for recognition often requires a hell of a lot of effort!
That’s an interesting insight Leigh, and one that when I think about the details of life I can see quite clearly.
When I look at magazine shelves and see the pictures and captions I find nothing inspiring there, it is usually a very gossipy or negative insinuation as the headline, this kind of material spreads harm and encourages comparison and self-hatred. Very very yucky.
I recently heard of a Fifty Leading Lights list for kindness-business leaders recognised and celebrated for inspirational work and quality of relationships with colleagues, staff and customers.
Truly bonkers that people get all the adulation and all the crazy rewards and plaudits for being the best in the world at hitting someone else. Just writing that sentence makes me wonder about the extinction of the dinosaurs. Perhaps like us they did not adapt and eventually their own stupidity led to their demise?
Celebration to me includes the “what’s next” factor, otherwise it tends to be an indulgance.
The more I become my own celebrity the more I can see how a life lived without being affected by everything outside of you is actually possible.
Nothing is more powerful and gorgeous than an open heart.
‘SURELY there are ways of spending our time, energy and money that benefit us rather than punching us in the face, literally speaking.’ Great question. I’m aware to not go into judgement but understanding about what it is that attracts so many to watch boxing and what is it that people feel to box.
We make people into celebrities by rallying behind them, and following their every move… but so few if any of the so called celebrities I know have added value to my life, save maybe entertainment for a few hours, and even then is entertainment ultimately valuable? I am looking for people who are inspiring to the core, who live a life of joy and commitment, who open the doors to their lives so you can see they are normal, and not better or more special than you, who without question live a life that is true for them. Serge Benhayon is such a man.
Yep that’s exactly what I look for in a role model too – someone who inspires my every cell to get up and bring everything I am to life and people.
I agree Heather Serge Benhayon has opened up the doors of life to show us that it is not all we think it is that there is far more going on under the surface of life than many care to admit or want to know about.
When we celebrate someone for something that this person stands out in, we commit a brutal act of reductionism that falsely feels like an enhancement.
If we were to celebrate true achievement then it would be a person’s ability to fade their individuality out and thus merge themselves back into the Oneness that we’re all from but as you say Eduardo, the only thing that we currently celebrate is a person’s ability to stand out and be seen. And often the more a person is able to stand out from the crowd the more we applaud them! Whereas what is really worth applauding is how deeply a person can manoeuvre themselves back into the folds of the universe.
We celebrate a lot in the world but we do not celebrate the truth of us and that makes the world a very hard place to live in.
It is a global issue that we celebrate people who are so insecure about themselves that they have a reality show about their lives in order to get attention. It is a global issue that despite the fact that we know people are drug addicts and alcoholics, we still praise them and think that the quality of their music/ movies and products actually benefits humanity.
We have celebrities who are constantly showing us that we’re not good enough – role models who throw thousands and millions on plastic surgery, designer wear and the sorts. A constant reminder that we have to do something to ourselves to make us look better or feel better. The celebrities you mention in your life are vastly different to that, like you say they have dedicated their lives to knowing love and living it with themselves and all others – yes, that is truly worth celebrating.
it has always fascinated me how celebrities are based on fame alone – someone being important in the eyes of society because they are on TV or they have a skill. But what is great here is the possibility that celebrities can be people who are living love and reflecting this back to humanity. That is truly inspiring.
Particularly because everyone can be inspired and make changes themselves. Its not restricted to how big and heavy your are, or whether you are willing to punch someone else!