• It Is Through The Face That We Encounter God
• A Message of Hope
• Waiting
• An Octopus at Easter.
• Invite relationships
• Transformation
• This Moment
• A Good Story
• Can I Be A Healer?
• The virtue of doubt
• Mary Mackillop, Woman Of Faith
• Fridge Doors And The Rest Of The World
• Entertaining Angels
• More connected than ever, more disconnected than ever
• Feast of Teresa of Avila, 15th October
• The Witness of Maternity Leave
• Something New
• Farewell
• Australian Catholic University is a Public University Open to All
• What if God Was One of Us?
• Zest for life
• Attendance
• Christmas Angel Tree
• A Present For Me
• On being famous
• Reason To Celebrate
• World Youth Day
• May the evening's twilight find me gentle still
• Goodness: God’s Gift To Us
• A time for every purpose under heaven
• The Mad Dash
• The Positive Spirit is Fully Alive
• Its time to change
• Living an Abundant Life

Everyone has probably harboured a secret dream of becoming famous. Even if the vivid dream has been sadly abandoned what might remain is a sneaking envy of those with it as though we without it are somehow lesser mortals. Not that this thought is rational; it is more of an irrational kind of wistfulness. We seem to be dazzled by Fame’s new clothes, so a reflective pause seems in order. Now, not being a famous person myself, I can’t comment from direct experience. Nor have I ever gone from obscurity to notoriety to enable me to report on its transformative power. But I can venture the opinion that in general we overestimate the benefits of attributes we find desirable and diminish their negative consequences. Therefore we are likely to persist in believing that famous people live charmed lives full of loving companions and more money than most of us would know what to do with. It is certain that facts in popular magazines are not to be trusted, but the popular press is nevertheless useful to consult for they are a common source of our beliefs in fame, and they can also play a part in disabusing us of our rosy view. For example, because famous people are often reported as being in one or another crisis the absolute benefit of fame must not be true. Fame does not automatically bring joy. Joy still seems to be more a matter of spirit than something externally prompted. Therefore if we are not happy now, fame cannot guarantee happiness. But I’ll keep you posted if it comes my way!

• Tunde Meikle,
• National School of Psychology,
• Ballarat