Who is Starring in Your Reality Show?

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Minto Cato--theatrical actress 1920's-1940's by The Nite Tripper fr flickr

The TV shows we now call reality TV have a long history. Alan Funt’s 1948 TV series Candid Camera is thought to be the first in the US to show us the “real” reaction of real people. Following that was Truth or Consequences in 1950 with its hidden cameras.

Since then we have gone through many shows that took us outside TV studios to ride alongside real cops, catch real criminals, and watch how people will navigate through life-challenging situations to survive primitive or frontier environments.

Why we are so fascinated with these shows is a question that could keep psycholgists and sociologists busy speculating for years. One thing is for sure. When we are deeply engaged in these reality shows we are not fully engaged with our own reality show.

Each of you is living your own reality show, and have many tasks to make your show run smoothly. You must write and perform your script almost simultaenously as you interact with the other “actors” in your life as well as direct the production. If you are starring in your show that means that your goals and needs are being met. The extent to which you realize that you have control over your own reality show is the extent to which you will enjoy happiness and fulfillment in your life.

While the TV reality shows, like any other dramas, movies or books, may give you hints that will help you live your life more joyfully, at some point you must turn off the TV, leave the theater, close the book. If you are not starring in your own reality show, chances are you are playing a supporting role to someone else.

Take a look at your own reality show and decide if you like the way it is going. If not, rewrite the script, change the scenery, bring in new actors and direct the action to your liking. You are the star of your show. Make it a hit.