THE PAIN BEHIND THE SMILE (SUNDAY SPECIAL)

Her soft lips stretched into the most perfect smile. There was something about the way she smiled; the way butterflies seemed to escape from the the depth of her heart and the way the sun had somehow toppled down from the sky and made a home right there on her face. I just wanted to be her, and I would give anything to have the life she is living. 

This is how we feel when we see Celebrities  smiling out of a mall with an army of assistants holding on to bags filled with Coco Chanel and Prada  or when we see billionaires driving their bugatti or Pagani or cruising on their jumbo jets and their three hundred million dollars yacht, or when we see TV personalities smiling with their heavy make-up for the Camera that undergoes heavy editing to eliminate all the flaws to present a perfect life.

 The prettiest smiles sometimes hide the deepest secrets. The prettiest eyes have cried the most tears, they are just hidden by the heavy make-up. To begin with, fame does not bring real happiness. Stuff does not bring real happiness and being known does not certainly bring real happiness and finally, the check-mate is Fame brings with it a tremendous burden.  When one becomes famous, they must work harder and harder to keep topping themselves.  Many have a degree of fear about how they are going to do that.  There is no real security with fame.  Big celebrities virtually have no privacy.  Everything, both ups and down, are splattered all over the internet, television and magazines.  That alone would be terribly difficult I would think.  Who you really are would be altered and misunderstood.

A great deal of lies are told about famous people to sell magazines, as well, they are subject to go from zero to hero and back again to zero in 60 seconds if they do the slightest thing wrong.  Many of them need body guards when they go out.  Can you even imagine what a drag that would be?   Can you imagine people hiding behind trees to get a picture of you the minute you stepped out the door? A lot is taken from you when you're famous.  It is a compromise, not just gain, as media would have you believe. 

The life of those we celebrate, those we yearn to be like are not so perfect, you see "The rich also cries". I will take out time to mention some celebrities who suffer or suffered a great deal of depression.

We all know Owen Wilson, his persona is that of a laid-back fun loving-I have the world under my feet kind of dude, but in 2007, reports suddenly surfaced that he had attempted suicide at his California home. Wilson who was 38 at that time was battling his own demons which was a drug addition born out of depression.

Ashley Judd in her 2011 memoir, "All that is bitter and sweet" revealed that she had considered suicide before and in 2006, she underwent 42 days in a rehab clinic for depression. "I would have died without it", she told people's magazine in 2011.

Heath Ledger, the troubled actor over-dosed on sleeping pills, pain killers and anxiety drugs, not long after revealing to New York Times that he was suffering from Insomnia.

Demi Lovato in 2010 checked into a treatment facility for emotional and physical issues and finally, Andre Water, a former NFL player tok his own life in 2006 at the age of 44. He was suffering from depression. 

The list is endless, Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, etc. These are the people we dream to be like. I am not saying that their lives are not worth living, I am rather saying that it is not worth depressing over because the life you are depressing for is one that depresses the owner too.

Life is not beautiful because of the things we have, a man who has a mega million dollars mansion with hundreds of rooms gets to sleep on only one bed, lying in a corner of just one room. For me, the things that matter most in life is not the cars I drive, or the mansions I build or the expensive clothes I wear, for me, it is LOVE, FAMILY and FRIENDS. This is the real value to me. I wouldn't replace it for anything in the world. To help portray my  point, Please read the story below:

Steve Jobs last words on his dying bed was "I reached the pinnacle of success in the business world. In others' eyes, my life is an epitome of success. However, aside from work, I have little joy. In the end, wealth is only a fact of life that I am accustomed to.
At this moment, lying on the sick bed and recalling my whole life, I realize that all the recognition and wealth that I took so much pride in, have paled and become meaningless in the face of impending death.
In the darkness, I look at the green lights from the life supporting machines and hear the humming mechanical sounds, I can feel the breath of god of death drawing closer ...
Now I know, when we have accumulated sufficient wealth to last our lifetime, we should pursue other matters that are unrelated to wealth ...
Should be something that is more important: Perhaps relationships, perhaps art, perhaps a dream from younger days

Non-stop pursuing of wealth will only turn a person into a twisted being, just like me.

God gave us the senses to let us feel the love in everyone’s heart, not the illusions brought about by wealth.

The wealth I have won in my life I cannot bring with me. What I can bring is only the memories precipitated by love. That's the true riches which will follow you, accompany you, giving you strength and light to go on.
Love can travel a thousand miles. Life has no limit. Go where you want to go. Reach the height you want to reach. It is all in your heart and in your hands.
What is the most expensive bed in the world?
Sick bed ...
You can employ someone to drive the car for you, make money for you but you cannot have someone to bear the sickness for you.
Material things lost can be found. But there is one thing that can never be found when it is lost — Life. When a person goes into the operating room, he will realize that there is one book that he has yet to finish reading — Book of Healthy Living. Whichever stage in life we are at right now, with time, we will face the day when the curtain comes down.
Treasure Love for your family, love for your spouse, and love for your friends. Treat yourself well. Cherish others."

In conclusion, i would tell you a story. There was once a very wealthy man, he was so wealthy that he was envied by many. One day, as he was flying over a huge farm land in the country side, he look down form his helicopter and saw the farmers family, their wives harvesting the fruits to prepare meals for their families, the boys running free on the corn fields, and the girls singing and chanting, his eyes were filled with tears and he longed for the freedom they felt, there were no body-guards, no lonely mansions, no big-screens on their lives, they were so free. The fascinating thing was that as the helicopter flew over the field, the men, the women, the children imagined what glorious life the man must be living, with all the servants, the big houses, the luxurious lifestyle, and they longed to be him.  How ironic. It reminds me of Michael Jackson who was busy being a star while his mates were being kids. Do you remember the song "Have you seen my childhood", I guess you know what I mean

Contempt is a powerful virtue, we must teach ourselves to be happy, to enjoy life to the fullest in every way possible and know that, true happiness is a gift you give yourself.