How do celebrities manage to stay sane and genuine in a world where people project their delusions and fantasies on them? It’s hard enough to be sane and genuine living a normal life without the scrutiny of the public eye.
Jodi Foster shared some of her challenges with being a public figure, some of her strategies, and some of her heart in her Golden Globe lifetime achievement award speech. She noted:
“If you were a public figure since you were a toddler, if you had to fight for a life that felt real and normal against all odds, perhaps you too would value privacy above all else.”
“A few secrets to keeping your psyche in tact over such a long career. The first, love people and stay beside them.”
Then she made a touching tribute to her mother. She said:
“Evelyn. Mom, I know you’re inside those blue eyes somewhere and that there are so many things that you won’t understand tonight.
But this is the only important one to take in: I love you, I love you, I love you. And I hope that if I say this three times, it will magically and perfectly enter into your soul, fill you with grace and the joy of knowing that you did good in this life. You’re a great mom. Please take that with you when you’re finally OK to go.”
Looking ahead, she talked about how she planned to
“Move people by being moved.”
Think about that one for a moment. Powerful words from a powerful woman.
I’m saying a similar thing to my parents in their final years—not on national TV and not in such direct wording. I pick my words to fill their hearts with grace and to let them know they did good in this world.
Thanks, Jodi, for not being seduced by the inflations of your profession, and for winning the fight to be real and normal. And thanks for sharing your heart with us.