I’ve never liked being in the spotlight. All-eyes-on-me type of situations have never been my thing.
During one of our weekly meetings my pastor’s wife gave this illustration about facing criticism. She took a book from the table and began to slowly raise it towards the light bulb. When the book was just underneath the light bulb she said “The higher you go the more people will criticise you.”
As I looked at the book under light bulb I thought to myself, “Being under the light exposes your flaws. There’s no hiding place.” That is exactly what I dislike about being under the spotlight.
When I am behind the scene doing my thing, I am comfortable. I don’t feel pressured. I’m free to do what I want and even when I make mistakes, it’s easier for me to turn those mistakes around. I am able to grow.
Being under the spotlight doesn’t grant you such luxury. You make a mistake and everyone sees it. Your weaknesses are glaring to the world. If not handled properly, the spotlight can destroy. That is why I am so amazed when I see people do all they can to be in the spotlight without having what it takes to be in such a position in the first place.
You see, there is a time and season for everything. Before you can be in the spotlight, you must have spent some time being in the background.
Why would you aspire to be a leader when you haven’t learnt to serve first? What kind of leader do you want to be? Do you know your weaknesses? Have you or are you working on them? Can you handle the pressure that the spotlight brings? These are real things you need to consider. No one is perfect but we can aim at it by living excellent lives even in obscurity.
Before you take the leap into the spotlight ask yourself, can I handle the pressure it will bring? Will I still be me if the spotlight is taken away from me? The spotlight is no respecter of persons. It can be here today and gone tomorrow.
So instead of focusing on being in the spotlight, why don’t you focus on being an outstanding human being? Why don’t you focus on strengthening your weaknesses and developing your capacity? The spotlight should never define you. In fact, I have discovered that the people who last long in the spotlight are the people who didn’t chase after it.
They just continued to aspire for greatness, lived excellent lives and they were thrust into the spotlight. Some of these people were not perfect but they added so much value that even after their death, their names still means something.
Develop yourself. Give to humanity. Contribute your quota. Do the best you can where God has placed you. You will definitely be elevated. There is no need to chase after the spotlight aggressively. The spotlight will chase you if you truly have something to offer.
About the Writer: Adedoyin Jaiyesimi is a Writer, Media Content Creator and Brand Manager. The various publications she has written for include Y! Magazine (now Y! Africa), Discovery, Pride Magazine Nigeria, Butterscotch magazine amongst others. She currently holds the position of Brand Communications Manager at Victor Adeyemi Ministries and she is also the founder of LRouge Media, an editorial and brand consultancy company which provides content writing and editing services for business websites, magazines and blogs. When she is not creating content, you can find her in church doing the work of her Father. She tweets @msdoyeen and blogs at www.adedoyinjaiyesimi.wordpress.com
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