How Not to Be Rich or Famous

Chances are you're not rich or famous (not yet anyway) but you think that sounds like fun. So, why are you reading this? Hoping to avoid some common mistakes? I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place, because my advice won't help you one bit.

What It all comes down to is how you define success. If you don't define it, you won't know when you've arrived. Seriously, how will you know you've made it? Is it when you have so much money you trip over it on your way to the bathroom? Or when Madame Tussaud wants to put you in her wax museum? Or when you can't walk down the street without being mobbed by adoring fans? The truth is, whatever you think you want, it's never going to be enough. You will never be satisfied, or think you've made it, or stop wanting more.

So, what should you do? You're not going to like my answer. Stop trying. You don't need a street named after you, or a statue of you riding a horse. Do what makes you happy. Be with the people who matter to you. Help those who need help. Buy less stuff. Read more books. Spend time outdoors. Stare at the clouds. Study a bug. Tickle a baby.

Why do I think this is the answer? The last week of my mom's life, there was a constant crowd of visitors in her hospital room: friends, co-workers, and all the people she'd ever done a kind deed for. At one point, a nurse pulled me aside to ask me if my mother had been a movie star. I laughed and said no. She was just an ordinary woman with a big heart who liked to take care of people. And the most important thing she taught me was how not to be rich. Or famous.