Idris Elba's Warning For Anyone Wanting To Be Famous

By James Mills, Associate Partner & Mentorship Coach, Lighthouse International

Anyone who strives to be successful through public recognition needs to be aware of what this actually involves.

Idris Elba is a internationally-recognised actor, musician and DJ. In a recent interview with Business Insider he shared what it means to be in the limelight as a warning for any aspiring actors or sports stars who may be wary of the personal attention they may not want to receive.

"...people in the spotlight tend to be scrutinised, every move they make. I guess you can say my star is rising or whatever, but what comes with that is a lot more inquisitive people who want to know who you are as a person and what life decisions you're actually making. Because you're an actor or sportsman people want to know that and they are curious. But it's part of the job — if I didn't want anyone to know anything about me, I would have probably gone for a different career path."

What Idris Elba is highlighting is that successful people will attract attention and not always of a positive nature. There will be people who aspire to be like you, but there will also be plenty who criticise you and want to pull you down - you can't expect to only receive praise!

Any legend has to have the self-awareness and emotional strength to deal with complete strangers wanting to know more about all aspects of them as a person. This also means that legends have the opportunity to use their profile and influence in positive ways. They can help others face the challenges they themselves have faced as well as give back through championing positive causes they feel passionate about.

Here's the full interview with Business Insider.

To learn more about what legends like Nelson Mandela, Jada Pinkett-Smith and Elon Musk have done to cope with the demands of success, then you have to read this article!