Marilyn Monroe: Lessons in Fame and Fortune

In finishing The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe, I couldn’t help but compare and contrast her life with another star of her era, Audrey Hepburn. There are many differences between the two stars, including finances, children, family and fashion. Perhaps most importantly are the parallels between what makes their stars “sparkle”. Marilyn always invoked a sex goddess, with a child-like vulnerability. Audrey, on the other hand, had a royal way about her boy-ish like features that made you adore her. Unlike Audrey, Marilyn’s legacy delivered confusion, pain and hurt. Audrey’s legacy was one of charity and giving back to the world.

Press or no press, the timing and death of Norma Jeane added to the mysteriousness of her long recorded addiction to sleeping pills. Another star of the Fox studio in the 1940s was Elizabeth Talor. When she died in March 23rd of this year, the press coverage was minimal. Seeing a once beautiful girl age and slowly grow old perhaps takes the idealization of the sex goddess away. But reality sets in, and one must wonder if living life is a lot harder than simply dying. My lesson from Marilyn’s biography was her ability to charm. Her oscillating contrast of superwoman and vulnerable girl, and her ability to smile for the cameras and light up a room in her “fantasy”-creating mind, despite her ongoing, clinical depression.

Another issue is that of wealth. The estate of Marilyn Monroe only had $4000 in her name when she died. Her estate started making money from her work and in 1977, finally paid her mother Gladys the money she promised from her will, years after her death in 1962. Wealth is the ability to make money and create money, while having all that you need. Simply spending everything you earn does not make you rich. Rather, making more than enough money and maintaining this stability for your needs and to make you happy – that, to me, is wealth.

“This is the story of a girl named Norma Jeane Mortensen. She thrived despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles and almost impossible odds. She created and became a woman more fascinating than even she believed possible. And in the face of her own failinga mind, she battled to keep that creation alive – not for her, but for us.

Indeed, Marilyn Monroe did exist. Even through the woman insider her was at times doubtful of that fact, we knew it better than she did. She spent so much of her energy, her own will, projecting an image of impossible beauty and ultimate joy. Yet, as the end neared, her experience of who she truly was drifted farther and farther from that ideal – until she found it impossible to pretend anymore. Her choice, as awful as it may have been, was this: Admit to the world that Marilyn Monroe had become nothing more than smoke and mirrors, or die. On August 5th, 1962, Marilyn Monroe gave the world all she had left to give – the knowledge that she was, and always would be… ours.” – J. Randy Taraborrelli

Bruce Lee and Game

My recent growth in personal development comes from reading biographies and autobiographies of people I admire and find interesting. This includes characters such as Marilyn Monroe, Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Audrey Hepburn. The stories of celebrities and movie stars are far more interesting, I find, than business individuals drumming on about the latest management theories and whatnot.

Of these came the stories of Bruce Lee. From Bruce Lee: The Celebrated Life of the Golden Dragon (John Little) struck a particular chord with me due to its exclusive pictures that were provided by Linda Lee Cadwell

A Bruce Lee Interview:

Here are some quotes from the story that I related to my own life. Bruce’s philosophy regarding how to train in martial arts also apply to learning pick up, and any skill, for that matter.

A really trained, good actor is a rarity nowadays – that demand the actor to be real, to be himself. The audiences are not dumb today, an actor is not simply demonstrating what one wants others to believe he is expressing. That is mere imitation or illustration – but it is not creating – even through this superficial demonstration can be “performed” with remarkable expertise.

Pickup Translation: A really trained, good seducer is a rarity nowadays – that demand the artist to be real, to be himself. The girls are not dumb today, an artist is not simply demonstrating what he wants her to believe he is expressing. That is mere imitation, but it is not relating, even through imitation can be performed exceptionally well. Read more

The secret of success…

“The secret of success is learning how to use pain and pleasure instead of having pain and pleasure use you. If you do that, you’re in control of your life. If you don’t, life controls you.” – Tony Robbins

Inspirations and Dealing with Temporary Failure

You wake up on Monday morning, and the routine starts.

Work. Office. Boss. Emails. Routine. Lunch. Get back home. Sleep. And the day starts all over again.

I did this for 3.5 years. I hate it everyday. I would find every opportunity to wiggle my way out of it, or to find an alternative to the path. I started building my own business, with a partner still in school. We succeeded in making some money, but it wasn’t enough.

Certain people can deal with the mundaneness of this routine, but I cannot. Yet, when push comes to shove, you need to money to put food on the table. You need it to survive. Read more

Life Lessons from Vancouver, Canada

3 days into my 1 week trip to Vancouver, my brother was already getting on my nerves. At first I was glad to see him. I was over-joyed to see him after so long. When I first saw him at the airport he had on a long trench coat and somewhat misplace shirt and his hair was the same. I greeted him and all went well. The next day we went shopping, and I did a makeover. I also demonstrated some sets and showed him how to talk to girls at the mall. He was really impressed. I wrote him a check for $600 for the week to cover his expenses of hosting me, although he wasn’t to thrilled about spending $330 on clothes at Zaras.

Anyway, my bro and I got along on day 1-2. I figured he’ll change eventually and if not, I can inspire him. I forgot how hard real change was (I took sometime too) and by day 3 my impatience got the best of me. I started thinking and noticing all the negative things about him: dirty, not clean, unclean room, white hair in places, smells bad (sometimes), badly dressed, forgets things, can’t drive well, not very smart (logically), made some big mistakes, thinks in negative patterns and always thinks its his fault. The list goes on. I am almost ashamed to say this but at one point I was thinking, “man my brother sucks he is so uncool. Shoot I have to spend a WHOLE week with him?”

That night I stayed up and sat against the frame of the bed and meditated. I thought about my brother and my situation and asked myself (and God) whether I was being fair to him. Read more