I once read about a blogger who drove millions of people to his blog.
He became highly popular. He made almost nothing money-wise through the blog. Making money is not important because you and I can be seamlessly supported through billions of channels. For instance, my wife and I barely pay a penny in rent or mortgage because we land house sits. Meanwhile, most people genuinely believe that unless they make money that they will be homeless.
Anyway, my point is this: being popular does not net you money.
One life coach appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show yet did not land a single client after being seen by millions of people. Being seen my millions does not make you rich.
But even if you become popular and rich you still need to train your mind to have peace of mind, to be happy and to be free.
Icon Living in Hell
I watched a documentary on Whitney Houston recently.
She developed her singing skills to become perhaps the most talented singer of all time.
Her skills and talent made her perhaps the most popular human on earth at the time, along with Michael Jackson.
But she lived in mental hell, which became physical hell, which became a slow, steady suicide through drug abuse.
Whitney is buried a few minutes away from my childhood home in New Jersey. She did some of her worst damage to herself a few minutes from where I am currently living, outside of Atlanta, Georgia, at her second home. I used to drive by her beautiful home in Mendham, NJ while my wife and I took peaceful drives through the country. She grew up 20 minutes from my hometown in NJ. I also feel connected to her because deep fears spurred by childhood abuse kicked around in my mind for quite a long time, similar to the nightmare that must have played like a tape recorder on an endless loop, in her mind.
She loved to sing. Perhaps a few billion humans knew who she was. She signed a $100 million record deal. But being known by billions and netting $100 million did not change her mind. Being known gives you no peace. Making money gives you no peace. Being known does not necessarily make you rich.
Being popular does not make you rich.
Being popular does not give you peace of mind, happiness or freedom.
Stop seeking popularity. Make your intent this: train your mind to be peaceful, happy and free.
Money and anything else you may use in the world is forthcoming when you train your mind because a peaceful, happy, free mind becomes irresistible to love, freedom and any temporary things one may use on a worldly journey.
I cannot recount how many times the moment I ceased worrying about money or popularity, support showed up. Sometimes support was money through some loan or financial gift offered by family. Other times, support was house sits, or the perfect rental, or a friend buying me dinner. Sometimes, kind folks like Don invited me to guest post on his blog. Other times, one person bought all of my eBooks, hired me to coach him and endorsed me to his following. Yet other times, clients gave me huge orders during my freelance writing days.
Train your mind. Love yourself. Accept yourself. Face your fears. Being popular creates the illusion that you are loved and accepted but all illusions are false. Loving and accepting self in mind is the only way to truly feel good. Making money or even gaining vast riches creates the illusion of freedom but this is also an illusion. Many people with ample money are bound by depression, anger, sadness and an insane hunger fueled by the blind greed to obtain more money.
Pay close attention to wise human beings who train their minds to be peaceful, happy and free. As money and fame flow to these folks, neither stirs strong-minded individuals. Money becomes a simple means for leveraging and service to humanity. Fame becomes a vehicle for helping more people.
Stop trying to be popular.
Start training your mind.
Make life fun, freeing and enjoyable.
Everything you could ever want flows organically to you once you begin to genuinely train your mind diligently.
