Is it really all that great to be famous?

When I was growing up, we all desired to be famous. Later on in life, though, I began to understand that the desire for fame, which seems quite widespread, can even become an addiction for many, causing people to miss out on more valuable pleasures in life.

These are the lyrics to a song I wrote when I was a young mother. It gives a glimpse into my own struggle to overcome this distracting preoccupation:

Wonder Woman

My whole life I've been waiting for applause,

Neon lights, autographs, Nobel Prize.

My whole life I've been waiting for applause.

When it comes, I'll act coy and surprised.

Secretly I've waited, always wanting to believe

That the applause would never stop after I'd achieve.

Secretly I've waited, always wanting to believe

What an elusive tapestry a mixed up mind can weave.

I worked hard so that I could reach the top,

A Harvard grad, with A's on every test.

I worked hard so that I could reach the top,

The world would know - it would show - I was best.

So why'd it always happen I could not convince myself?

Awards just made a hollow sound when placed upon the shelf.

And why'd it always happen that the praises stopped so fast?

Isn't there a goal to reach where my glory will last?

Then one day I got tired of this game.

Wonder girl, though you've won, what's it worth?

Then one day I got tired of this game.

Craving more, is it found, here on earth?

Well, it has not been easy putting old wishes aside.

While washing piles of dishes, my hands burn with swallowed

pride.

No, it has not been easy putting old wishes aside.

Though I have small children now, the old dreams never died.

This afternoon it was raining very hard.

My little ones were getting bored - nowhere to go.

This afternoon it was raining very hard.

I decided to put on a puppet show.

Lining up their kiddie chairs, they sat there in a row.

I peeked out at them a moment, and their faces were aglow.

Lining up their kiddie chairs, they sat there in a row.

Their eyes were full of wonder, as they watched my puppet show.

My whole life I've been waiting for applause.

Well, it came. And it's true. It was great.

My whole life I waited for this applause.

Their little hands, clapping for joy, were worth the wait.

And suddenly I realized that here within these walls,

I did something much greater than in all the lecture halls.

Suddenly I realized that this glory does not leave.

Strand by strand, elusive tapestries are starting to unweave.

It takes time to break the pervasive habits that have been ingrained into us from childhood. That’s why I wanted to write a children’s book about this, so children could have the chance to hear a different kind of message early on – that being famous doesn’t actually bring fulfillment, but shining our souls does.

I WANT TO BE FAMOUS is the story of a boy named Seymour who yearns to be famous and then suddenly gets exactly what he desires. As anyone could nowadays, he becomes instantly famous through a youtube video in which he randomly appears, that goes viral. But just as quickly as the fame comes, it seems to also leave far too quickly. Seymour is able to finally break his habit of craving attention in the spotlight when he discovers the radiance from within him that never dims. And as he breaks his habit, there is a clap of thunder louder than all applause that bursts forth from the Heavens. Why would that be?

There is a teaching attributed to the great sage, Rabbi Yisroel Salanter: "The loudest noise in the Universe is the sound of a person breaking a habit." When we make any little progress in overcoming our struggles in life, something HUGE is achieved.

In the gym last week, we all had differently weighted barbells to lift. The women who had lighter ones that day, could hold them in their hands and lift their arms straight up. Those who got the heavier weights, could just barely lift their bent arms above their heads. If you didn’t know that all the weights were different, it would look like the women who could easily lift their arms up were much stronger than the ones who couldn’t, but the truth was that the weights were all different.

We are all carrying around differently weighted struggles and different destructive habits that need to be lifted off of us. But the outward achievements of people (like how high they can lift their arms) doesn’t provide any understanding of the hidden inner challenges.

And with each crack that we make in breaking a habit that blocks us, our uniquely beautiful souls shine more joyfully. As the radiance streams forth, there is less and less of a need for external spotlights.

Bracha Goetz is the author of I Want to Be Famous! and 31 other picture books to help children's souls shine: http://www.amazon.com/author/spiritualkidsbooks-brachagoetz.