In this episode, the remaining finalists were going to be judged on their overall interaction with the fans at a meet and greet. First, Tyra sat them down for a "prep talk," a brief but informative lecture about the way to handle fame.
I saw these tips as a way to stay grounded in real life as we move towards thriving.
Now, I am not "famous" but I am in the public eye a lot whether its with the cover band I sing lead in, workshops I teach, speaking for the project, or my solo music presentations. I found myself grabbing for a note pad and pen to record the tips Tyra gave the girls on the show:
1.) Know yourself. I know, easier said than done.
Getting in touch who we really are(not what we "do,") where we came from and what makes us "tick" inside helps us to realize what we are in fact, here on this Earth for, and we will not be afraid to take up space and to know we deserve respect and better treatment from everyone. To the supermodels, celebrities and budding famous, Tyra says the fans will each want "a piece of you" and will put you on a pedestal.
This can play with your head!
We are as human as the next person, ordinary people, each with our strengths, each with our weaknesses and flaws.
For some of us, we are ordinary people choosing an extraordinary life.
So, when someone wants to grab the red carpet out from under us to watch us trip and fall, well...that's too bad but it comes from envy, usually. We have whatever it is they want: Self-knowledge, money, fame, something extraordinary that we chose to go after and got!
2.)Boundaries!
During the meet and greet, one model gave a kiss on the cheek to one of the male fans that asked for it. She argued with him that she has a boyfriend and he wouldn't appreciate if she kissed this guy, but she did anyway. She was later given a lecture by the show's producers that by allowing a fan to overstep her boundaries she could open herself up to stalking or some kind of further violation of privacy and boundaries. Who knows what the guy was thinking after she kissed him? Maybe he thought,"Well... if she'll do that, maybe she'll do more."
Scary!
3.)How thick is your skin?
There's a reason that ladders are meant to be climbed one at at time.
We're meant to climb toward our dreams rung by rung, and by way of our own individual path.
A wise and quite accomplished musician friend of mine once said, "Vanessa, I'll meet you at the top. It's way too crowded on the bottom."
Those words made me feel special but what was he actually talking about? Could he see my drive, ambition, and desire to keep learning? Or was he just reminding me there is a climb to get anywhere we want to go and maybe he thought I was one who wouldn't give up.
Not surprisingly, during her lecture to the girls, Tyra mentioned she sometimes reads the nasty things people say about her and she is hurt, still hurt, a lot by what she reads but she separates herself from those words and moves past them. I imagine she once chose a high ladder and let people pull on her legs and try to pull her down but she persisted, hung on, and just kept climbing.
Finally, Andre Leon Talley, former Vogue Editor at large, and judge in America's Next Top Model, shared a quote that made me think he had been through some tough times but chose to rise above and climb to success as well:
"Sticks and stones may break my bones, but dumb names make me wealthy!"
When the models heard this they laughed, and agreed. Well, that's one perspective!
Check out Tyra's new website: http://www.typef.com/
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Very much enjoyed this post. In fact, I enjoy reading about your perspective on the world in general. ;) I wish I could train myself to take away so much from even the simplest things!
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