 Being Madonna
"One day, everybody will know my name." Madonna
You cannot compare being Madonna with being John Malkovich. It is taught. To be Madonna,
you should be timeless, be number one all of the time. To be Madonna, you should be a
trendsetter, a good musician, a good dancer, a sportswoman, a beautiful woman, a kind
mother, and a good wife; be a queen until you die, winning every war!
Madonna became a source of inspiration to all singers, both women and men. Once she said,
"One day everybody will know my name." What is her recipe of success that never
ages? Why do we all know of her, or have heard one of her songs at least once? I tried to
analyze this question. First of all, what did Madonna do? She followed her dreams and
never gave up. Lesson 1: You should not be upset when somebody says that you are not a
good actress or a good ________ [fill in the blank]. You should not give up.
The fads of Kabala, gym balls, 80s music and many other things in this century were trends
started by Madonna. If there are gym balls in our sports centers, then it is a sign of
Madonna's influence on our lives. Lesson 2: You should have the ability to make something
popular.
You might love to hear compliments from others, or you may organize your life according to
the faults that others claim you possess. Sometimes, you need to block your ears from
outside voices. Lesson 3: Concentrate on what you want to do and be free of the words of
others. But this does not mean that you can spoil yourself. Pay attention to what is said
about you, but do not live for it. Balance your inner voice and external voices. This was
what Madonna did when she wanted to be an actress and make movies (the inner voice) after
she became popular as a singer. She did what she wanted and did not care what the critics
said, did not give up, and she continuously improved her self (the external voices).
Corporalita, or in English corporality, means being fit physically. As much as
your brain and dreams are good, be physically fit, too. That is what I read in the book How
to Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci. He was talented, as well as good-looking. Lesson 4:
Do exercises, eat when you are hungry, chew the foods in your mouth, and eat simple and
natural foods. Madonna does this well. We all have to exercise in order to be happy. The
recipe is easy, sports, sports, sports! Also, healthy foods!
Lesson 5: Have a powerful catchword for your life. I know it cannot be the same as
Madonna's. Be conservative, and remind yourself of your catchword everyday when you wake
up. In her documentary, an old friend meets Madonna at the concert hall and they talk
about the old days.
It is obvious that Madonna is pleased to show that she became the person she claimed she
would. She said that one day everyone would know her name and that thinking this made it
happen.
After lesson 5, I found a way to examine myself that may be worth trying yourself. Meet up
with an old friend and help that friend to remember his or her dreams. And ask that friend
to help you to remember your dreams. People may forget their dream if no one reminds them.
(Thanks to the inspiration of Madonna's documentaries, Sleeping with Madonna and I Am
Going to Tell You a Secret and Michael J. Gelb's book, How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci.)
Gülay Acar (COMD/IV)
howtoreachgulay@yahoo.com
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