"Fame is other people's perception of who you are"

As I was reading Markus 'Notch' Persson tweets earlier, I was reminded of the phrase stated by Oprah Winfrey regarding fame: "Fame is other people's perception of who you are." In other words, you can never experience yourself the same way another person would.

Persson is the founder of the famous online videogame 'Minecraft' in which you use blocks (similar to lego) to build anything you want. The game has won several awards and the company behind the game, Mojang, was bought by Microsoft in 2014 for $2.5 billion (£1.5 billion).

The purchase dramatically turned around Persson's life and he soon purchased a mansion in Beverly Hills for $70 million (ca. £45 million), outbidding Jay-Z and Beyonce.

While many of us look up to the lifestyle of the rich and famous, we are still observers. However, if we were in their shoes, would we still experience things in a positive way?

I think the tweet below speaks volumes about the joy and adventure being in the journey, not the destination.

Markus PerssonVerified account‏@notch

The problem with getting everything is you run out of reasons to keep trying, and human interaction becomes impossible due to imbalance.

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2:48 a.m. - 29 Aug 2015

Some years ago, I received a large sum of insurance money due to a dog bite in Italy. I love shopping and treating myself once a month after I get my paycheck. I even like window shopping since I get to plan what I will buy next.

However, after I received the lump sum, the excitement of buying one of those pretty expensive dresses, just vanished. It was as if when I knew I could by the dress (and the shoes, necklace, bag), I no longer sought the objects, they became every day things. As Persson stated, I was no longer trying, I had the money.

If I suddenly started earning millions and was hanging on Ibiza with celebrities, how would I know which ones were interested in me as a person, and which ones were interested in the money? Suddenly there's an imbalance.

I believe the key to keep oneself grounded is to do something for work, that you would do even if you weren't earning a penny, to have people around you who knew you before you acquired your wealth and will treat you the same way as before, and remember that happiness comes from the inside wherever we are in life.

The million dollar lesson

Yesterday my husband Josh launched the world premiere of his first short movie "The Million Dollar Question". As I watched him present the film to the ca. 40  viewers I was beaming with pride. "That's my husband" I thought. I also noticed how his sweater had shrunk slightly since I spun it too long in the washing machine. While it would have bothered me as presenter, Josh didn't seem concerned at all.

Someone said recently that true love is when you inspire each other. What I learnt yesterday was "Just do it" and to focus on initiative rather than perfect timing or "Do I have the right skills?"

I once attended a Business Link workshop for self starters. The speaker was an experienced businessman who told us that when he bought clothes he didn't focus on the price. He would ask a shop assistant how much the items were and negotiate a price. He also told us about having lost tens of millions of pounds in bankruptcy. Later he posed the question: If someone wanted help with a business, would they go for someone who never lost a business or the person who lost £70 million? Answer: The latter. Because he has done it. He has been at the top and tried things. He has the experience.

When soon-to-be Swedish Princess Sofia was asked about questionable past model photos, she replied that they are experiences, not mistakes. "Just do it" is better than "Do it perfectly".

Now that's a million dollar lesson.