There comes a subtle shift on the spiritual path. It is not that the world changes. It is that our eyes begin looking for different things.
Human beings have always looked upward. Once, we looked towards the stars. Then, towards saints, sages, poets and philosophers. Today, we often look towards screens.
Spiritual maturity doesn’t necessarily stop us from appreciating someone’s talent – but it does change what we worship. There is a difference between admiring excellence and surrendering discernment. Fame is not the same as wisdom. Visibility is not the same as virtue. Influence is not the same as integrity.
A gifted actor may move my heart. A gifted musician may soothe my soul. A gifted athlete may inspire discipline. But none of them become my compass simply because millions know their name.
The deeper I walked into spirituality, the less interested I became in who the world applauded and the more curious I became about who remained kind when no one was watching. Somewhere along the way, I realised that placing another human being on a pedestal also meant handing them a part of my own discernment. This realisation settled within me like bedrock beneath the sea.
The loudest voices rarely become teachers. The quietest lives often do. As my inner world became richer, I found myself looking less at those standing under spotlights and more at those carrying quiet light.
I found myself deeply moved by ordinary people carrying extraordinary qualities. I found myself quietly rooting for those whose character mattered more to me than their popularity. I found it intellectually stimulating to have conversations with someone who was sagacious enough to question authority, rather than someone who found comfort inside unquestioned systems.
In the past, I was drawn to the noise. Today, I welcome stillness. In the past, I was drawn to achievements. Today, I have high value for integrity. In the past, there were times I was drawn to people who shone brightly. Today, I am drawn to people who quietly illuminate others.
That being said, it is in no way a judgment of the world.
It is simply the story of my own knowing, my own becoming.
Fame is a gift – a gift to be a part of the greater good. We know of people who have the power to influence the mass crowd that follows them. They have the platform, the voice, to make a real difference in the society. We also know of people whose popularity becomes louder than their principles, choosing silence at moments when their voice could have made a difference.
Now, I get it – to each their own. However, it often left me wondering.
What good is one’s fame and fortune, if they cannot align with their human values, their integrity, their soul’s purpose?
This uncomfortable thought does not bother me anymore. I choose to see the light of the firefly in the darkness around.
Admiration has never left me. It has simply found a different home.
Every one of us builds invisible altars.
Some are built from admiration.
Others from ambition.
Some from wealth.
Others from power.
Mine simply began changing.
Today, I no longer ask,
“Who does the world celebrate?”
I quietly ask,
“Who leaves this world gentler than they found it?”
Because that is where my soul chooses to place its reverence.
This resonates so much. I have felt the same way. Once I started really opening to spirituality I started seeing the world differently. Your discernment grows and it’s crazy that all of this is in plain sight and we’ve been so conditioned to look one way when life is really another way.
I see you 👀 for you. I feel beyond blessed to be able to share your words deep inside my soul. 🙏🏼🫶🏼💎