Robin Williams courtesy of people.com

I lost someone who I grew up with this week as many of you did. Robin Williams touched many people in one way or another including me. He was a part of my life starting in my youth all the way up to his latest TV show “The Crazy Ones.”

When I heard of his passing I took a step back and gained some perspective. Whether you’re a celebrity, a star athlete or an icon of business. You’re still a person. Although your bank account, your fame or whatever it is may be inflated, at the end of the day you still face hardships and troubles just like the ‘Average Joe.’

When I started my career I was envious of those who were higher up than me. The cars they drove, the money they made, the high-end wines they could afford to drink. I wanted that. I wanted all of it and I thought life would be sooo much easier if I had more money, more status, etc…

Turns out life isn’t like that at all. No matter what my bank statements say, the car I drive or the company I keep, I still have issues. I’ve had my struggles with alcohol, and I’ve dealt with my fair share of issues surrounding my biological father. Not to mention the day in and day out stresses of what I do.

I used to look at celebrities and those higher up in the food chain and think they didn’t have any problems whatsoever. That life smiled on them more than it smiled on me. Now, with the internet, and the invasiveness of our society, we can dive into the lives of celebrities and those higher up than us. We see they are fractured. They struggle with life just as we do. We get a chance to go behind the curtain and see who The Wizard of Oz REALLY is. And he’s just a person, like you or I.

Robin made me smile and laugh…he still does. He had the innate ability to connect with his audience. He could pull you in and make it seem as if he was in the room with you. He was a special person. But again he was a person, no different than you or I.

He laughed, he cried, he smiled and he was troubled. He was human.

Looking back enables you to gain perspective. Whether it’s watching Mrs. Doubtfire again to remember the Robin you know and love. Or thinking of how petty it is to think celebrities and those you admire have it any better than you do.

We are all troubled, but let’s not forget we also have the ability to smile, and laugh. Let’s do more of that. Take a breather from the Rat Race to soak in family, friends and those that make you smile. Choose to smile and laugh. Go out of your way to put a smile on someone’s face today. Robin did. And you can too.

Love you,

Jordan

Ps. Russell Brand wrote a great piece on Robin Williams and how we are all linked. You can check it out HERE