I watched a fascinating documentary


I watched a fascinating documentary the other night about the late, great comic genius that was Peter Sellers.

If you're too young to remember the Pink Panther films - make sure that you get them on video! He was perhaps one of the most talented character actors ever (in my opinion) - who could play anyone from an American, Indian, or Frenchman - and still be totally believable. He died in 1980 through a heart attack - a life cruelly cut short. (Just after the release of second-to-last, and perhaps my favorite, of his films - Being There - which showed his amazing capacity at playing a non-comic actor as well as anybody else (he narrowly lost out as Best Actor on Oscar night to Dustin Hoffman for Kramer vs Kramer)

What people didn't know was that, behind this amazing comic persona was a man who was seriously insecure and disbelieving of his talents. He would cry himself to sleep at night, and criticise every single facet of what others would call immaculate performances. He struggled to maintain happy relationships - primarily because of his need to be 'loved' at all costs. A flawed genius, maybe - but a great man.

Don't waste your life like he did - worrying about what other people think of you, and focusing on how 'bad' you are at 'everything'. Life is a one-shot game - it's the only one we're going to have. Make the most of it. Enjoy it. Appreciate the part you play in the lives of others and never, ever, undervalue or ignore the values you bring into other people's lives. Cherish your strengths and push aside your weaknesses - and never let anyone tell you that you aren't 'good enough' to achieve whatever you truly desire.