Celebrity & Your Future Self

Celebrity & Your Future Self

The other week I watched this very inspiring speech by by Jack Gleeson who plays Joffrey Baratheon on Game of Thrones. The lecture is all about celebrity, and the ways that we hold someone else up as containing the attributes we should hope to achieve. He gave wonderful insight into what “celebrity” is and why so many worship that social status and even go beyond that to desperation to attain it. All of that stirred up something inside of me that I think of often, just never in that context.

To be able to see your future self as the role model to look up to would be an interesting and truly incredible idea. Envision who you want to be. What would your perfect self behave like, create, give, experience, etc? That person, the potential YOU from the future, could very well be likened to a celebrity, or someone that we hold above ourselves as something to strive for.

I believe that life is far richer and more fulfilling when we understand who we want to be, and then try to become that person. Each part of life can be enhanced because of it, from our work to our personal relationships, to how we experience the world. If we identify our flaws and work to correct them in the future, everything we do will seem brighter.

When I look to my future I cannot help seeing my creative endeavors, whatever they might be. I am not looking at specifics, but simply the idea that I will always create, no matter what the medium. When I think about who I want to be when creating the works of the future, I want to be someone more inspired, more passionate, and with more fire than ever. I want to hold my future self higher than I ever have my current self. I want to paint my future in a positive light and make sure that I grow into the best person I can be.

Celebrity is something that has always been around but, arguably, has taken hold of culture in ways never seen before. It is based around the idea that there are people out there better than we are in some way, and so we look to those people as role models for our future. And absolutely, there are plenty of people out there who deserve that status. But why not try holding yourself up and looking to that person to be inspired.

Do something with me. Humor me for a few minutes today…

Write as though you ARE that future self. Write as though you are YOU, but 10 years from now. What three things would you tell your past self?

You will become content.
You will become self-less.
You will become less competitive.

I look up to my future self instead of someone else who I can never become, because after all, the best person you can ever hope to be is the best version of yourself.

 

31 thoughts on “Celebrity & Your Future Self

  1. Thank you, Brooke. That is a very motivating and inspiring idea…

    – Was that so hard? 🙂
    – You will be fulfilled and happy.
    – Kindness and passion will be the most important features to have and to look for in other people.

    Hope we all enjoy our journey to become that person we wish to be.
    Take care.

  2. Wonderful ideas Brook. Thank you for sharing.

    You will become less competitive.
    You will become more creative.
    You will less be bothered by the opinion of the society.

  3. – Stop second guessing yourself
    – Stick to your morals they will take you far
    – You will get there

  4. – you will believe in yourself
    – you will learn to love again
    – you will be free

    It’s an amazing idea to look up to your future self. The thought never entered my mind but now I’m thinking of all the things I could turn out to be, and it is inspiring.
    And truth be told, you inspire me the most. You’re my role model.

  5. Thanks Brook! for giving us a chance to go a little deeper.

    – You are have everything you need.
    – You are exactly how you need to be.
    – You are not perfect…and that is beautiful.

    Hope you are having a joyful trip 🙂

  6. You will rely less on the validation of others.
    You will only do that which you love.
    You will pay it forward even when you weren’t given anything to begin with.

  7. you will help many people
    you will remember to be strong
    keep working hard, you will get there

    Also, Brooke, I had JUST watched that speech too, and shared a stunning photo of him moments before you posted this. It’s amazing actually how many times you post something that is exactly on my wavelength.

  8. You are stronger than you think you are.
    You will live life to please yourself, not others.
    You WILL pay off your student loans… eventually 😉

    Great post Brooke, you always come up with the best exercise!
    BTW, Happy Belated Birthday <3

  9. Matthew McConaughey said the same thing this week in his Oscar speech. He said that his “hero” is always himself in ten years. It really resonated with me. I will have to watch the interview you saw as well.

    Mine are:

    I will be as kind and loving to myself as I am to others
    I will be confident and own my successes no matter the size
    I will continue spreading random acts of kindness

    I hope your heart is full after your India trip. xo

  10. Brooke, without a doubt you’ve been the person that has inspired me the most. Before I really had no idea of what I wanted to do with my life, everything is clear to me now. This blog post is kind of the wake up call many of us need. One day I will meet you and I’ll finally be able to thank you in person 😉

    -You’ll reach your goals if you stop procrastinating
    -There will be failure. Get up and keep trying!
    -Don’t expect perfection. The beginning stages of ones dreams are never perfect.

  11. You will become more fulfilled by giving to others what have received and learned.

    You will feel less panicked by the need to climb up from the bottom or to be better than the person next to you.

    You will have more confidence and in yourself and, thus, be better mentally equipped to bring your creative vision to life.

    1. I really like your approach…
      There will be failure. Get up and keep trying!
      Don’t expect perfection. The beginning stages of ones dreams are never perfect.
      that’s something I would be reminding myself too…

    2. oohh Brooke… each time I visit your blog and I find myself motivated and confident all over again. Your very presence even in the form of these words, this blog and your art work, are always wrapped up in such pure emotions that everyone can relate to somehow.. I believe I would be saying myself…
      Just have a leap of faith, you’ll conquer that fortress of your dreams
      Don’t wait for things to happen, make it happen!
      She is going to be with you, sooner or later. Don’t ever give up!

  12. This is a pretty cool exercise Brooke but I’m telling you that each one of these that you post resonates deeply on something going on with me at that time. So weird but I’m willing to admit that it could be my own forced perspective.
    I would tell myself these 3 things based not on my own current state of mind but trying to see my present self talking to myself ten years ago and then relating it to this exercise:
    1. The things you think are a big deal….are not.
    2. Follow your heart and not the emotion of the moment.
    3. Try to be a better person everyday to those closest to you.
    This morning I heard a live cover of Don Henley’s “The boys of summer” at the end of a yoga class. That last “deadhead sticker” verse stuck with me. “A little voice inside my head said ‘don’t look back. You can never look back.'”. That got me thinking about my younger self and how if someone told me I would’ve been in the place I was that morning when I was that “know it all” kid, I would’ve told ya you were nuts. Then, this afternoon I see this and it just seems so very relevant.
    Sorry for the longwinded response and thank you for cementing that moment I had this morning and forcing me to turn it into inspiration. Your pretty good at that. Oh and happy birthday too:)

  13. -You will allow yourself to feel value and worth in you as a person and your work.
    -You make the right decisions when you become vulnerable and let your heart lead and take action.
    -Being kind and loving to your whole self will be the best thing you ever did for you and your family. Helping and healing yourself will help others.

    Brooke, you have touched my spirit and have shown a light and way for my creative soul. I thank you a million times over for all that you share! Enrolling in your creativeLIVE classes were stepping stones to a brighter creative future for me and my family. Since we saw you on FRAMED you have inspired myself, my husband, and my 7 year old daughter- who watched some of your class with me and is now constantly thinking of new photo shoot ideas for her and I to explore 🙂

  14. 1. Just settle down it is all coming to you in the exact time it needs to.
    2. Be confident in your decisions, your heart knows exactly where your supposed to be going.
    3. Just breathe, the future is more amazing than you could ever imagine.

    <3 Thanks Brooke <3

  15. (sorry for posting it again, as I posted before at the wrong place)

    oohh Brooke… each time I visit your blog and I find myself motivated and confident all over again. Your very presence even in the form of these words, this blog and your art work, are always wrapped up in such pure emotions that everyone can relate to somehow.. I believe I would be saying myself…
    Just have a leap of faith, you’ll conquer that fortress of your dreams
    Don’t wait for things to happen, make it happen!
    She is going to be with you, sooner or later. Don’t ever give up!

  16. I appreciate every thing you create and share, Brooke. You really bring a community together and inspire in the most positive ways. You’re one of the reasons I have kept my FB account; you have content that is worthwhile and authentic!

    It’s so interesting, Matthew McConaughey, just spoke to this point on Sunday and it really made an impression on me. The person he’s always chasing is him 10 years from now.

    10 years from now, what I would tell my past self…
    – You know yourself the best.
    – Trust your intuition.
    – Remember, those people who mind don’t matter and the people who matter don’t mind.

  17. I heart this exercise. This is what I would say:

    Keep trusting in the Universe, it has always supported you and it always will.
    Whenever there is an opportunity to dance (physically, emotionally, spiritually) – take it.
    Breathe. Relax. You don’t have to worry about the future. Your life is now. Savour it.

    Thank you for prompting me to contemplate these things. Much love to you and this wonderfully inspiring blog!

  18. – You will finally succeed and feel beautiful.
    – You will open your heart
    – You will be ok

    Thanks again, Brooke! <3

  19. Brooke,

    I went through severe depression last year and I still struggle to ward off depression and learn how to be joyful, happy and in peace with myself. Photography is a part of this process and your work is inspiring me immensely.

    Today, your post made me happy. And today is what matters.

    Thank you.

  20. Oh my word Brooke, this idea has struck such a cord. I hope to use this concept as my own measure of success. To strive for standards that measure up to nobody except my future self. This is so powerful.

  21. I actually wrote a blog based on this exercise and how it pushed me to strive to be a better me rather than a better someone else!

    http://kaleekilgrow.wordpress.com/2014/03/16/solo-gallery-show-at-luxe-218/

    The three things I told myself are:
    – You make it. You make it past the point you are now. It’s hard to believe in the moment, but you make it.
    – You give more. In your art, you give back to what you believe in.
    – You express yourself exactly how you want to, there is no holding back.

    Thanks, Brooke for taking the time out of your life to inspire us! You’re a gem!! 🙂

  22. You will do things you never thought you can do (half-marathon)

    You will nurture your passion for photography on a daily basis so that it will grow into a self sustaining organism.

    You will take care of your self so that you can stop being afraid to get in front of the camera.

    And darlin’, every second of the day you will make good decisions!

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