Kevin Costner, In reference to his movies Tin Cup and Bull Durham, made some comments about the protagonists in these movies not getting what they wanted,
“We don’t have to win in order to be respected. We have to stay true to ourselves.
We have to find the relevance in who we are and not strive to become what’s popular.
Everyone wants to be popular, myself included, but I don’t need to lose myself in order to do that.
– Kevin Costner Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters, GQ Youtube Channel, My 20th 2024
This really spoke to me. As I get older, there is a temptation to panic.
Panic over money, the future and legacy.
It’s highly possible that will not get what I want, from this life. I’m always in resolution mode about this with God. Like I’m trying to get refund for a defunct product.
In our culture, popularity trumps authenticity. Winners, don’t have to be true to themselves, they just have to win and let cost be damned.
People willing to trade their true selves in order to be popular is Faustian. We make deals with devils to get what we think what we want rather than be true to ourselves. I’m not saying you cannot be popular and authentic, it’s just difficult to please everyone and keep your integrity in tact.
This applies to Pastor in pulpits as much as it applies to talking heads on social media. Leadership is not necessarily synonymous with popularity or with integrity. Leadership with integrity is a goal and is made up of daily choices consistently practiced over decades and is on going until the day you die.
None of this is simple or easy to understand I can only process it as it occurs but my mantra, short term, will be
I don’t have to win to be respected, but I will be true to myself and accept my relevance in the moment.
Would you like articles like this in your inbox, sign up for my newsletter.