Demi Lovato and Our Need for Affirmation
MTV recently aired a documentary on singer Demi Lovato. It's always interesting to get the back story on what you read in the news. She made the headlines in 2010 when her concert tour was cut short to go to treatment for eating disorders and self-harm issues.
Demi starts off the video by saying... "If you took away music I wouldn't have a reason to live". That's a problem. She also said..."without music it would be hard to survive and stay in recovery". If she could replace "music" with "God" those sentences work. But as they are, I think she's vulnerable to another fall.I've written about the pressure that Whitney Houston endured in the limelight. Demi's another talent headed down the same path unless she can self-correct. Few of us understand the allure of the stage. It's a drug like no other...the ultimate affirmation that we all long for.There is something deep inside of everyone that NEEDS to be affirmed. We are valuable and we know it but when no one recognizes it we doubt our worth and go searching for someone to agree with what we think is true. The sad thing is that we often look in the wrong place...places that initially satisfy but burn us in the end.
The only one who truly knows our worth is the One who created us. If I want to know the true worth of a diamond I go to the person who cut it, not some guy on the street. It's important that we find our affirmation with God first. If that's not in place we will always chase affirmation in some superficial and fleeting way...i.e. thinking that we are only as good as our last concert or date or sales call or game or whatever it is that proves our value to us.
The video on Demi Lavato gave me hope that she is getting close to finding her way (in spite of the opening quotes). She seems to have some level of faith. (It seems to be in the early stages but it's a start. I hope she can find a good group of people to encourage that in her. ) I also appreciate her transparency. Not only will that help her it helps many others that struggle...as the many young women noted in the interviews. I wish her well.The bottom line for you today is a gut check...where are you turning for your affirmation "fix"?
If it is anything short of God I think you might be in trouble. If you woke up tomorrow and the source of that affirmation was gone...what would you do? Are you vulnerable?
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Related articles
Demi Lovato: Stay Strong (timetoexplore.wordpress.com)
Whitney Houston, Judy Garland and Our Broken Culture (readingremy.com)