When was the first time you heard the phrase "Miley Ray Cyrus?" For those of us who don't have kids who are glued to the Disney Channel, and who begged for Hannah Montana merchandise or concert tickets, the answer might well be "within the year" (or, specifically, when a magazine published some "artistic" photos of her with her father that some people found troubling).
Anyway, Miley Ray Cyrus was going to be the next...well, whomever teenage singers and actors are hoping to grow up to be these days.
And now, according to a Baltimore Sun article, Miley is, like, so over. Her popularity is dwindling as other tween crowd pleasers, such as the Jonas Brothers, push her right out of the media and out of our collective consciousness.
Miley, of course, enjoyed her 15 minutes of fame. She sold lots of merchandise and concert tickets, (hopefully) saved at least some of the salary that Disney paid her, and (again, hopefully) will be enjoying royalty checks from her CDs and acting career for many years to come.
Some authors believe that if they enjoy even 5 minutes of airtime on a national television show, their lives will be changed forever. Their books will become bestsellers, and when their stay on the bestseller lists is over, they will continue to be strong sellers forever. Their careers will be made, and their futures will be assured.
That's the fantasy, but just one look at Miley Ray Cyrus and other "It" celebrities of short duration can tell you that it isn't enough. Success isn't a one-time event that happens when the producers of a national media outlet pluck you out of the crowd and ask you to appear as a guest, or as an expert, on a show or in a publication. Success is what happens when you work on achieving it, and then maintaining it, throughout your career.
Success is what happens when you get lucky and stay lucky...and, to stay lucky, you have to work at staying lucky.
