Modesty is the Best Policy

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Just tune into any news channel and you’ll see that it’s a challenging world out there for responsible people of modest means. And while many might think famous Hollywood-types have it all, life isn’t always rosy for successful child actors. The pressures and demands of work, parents, education, and leisure pull them in several directions at once, making it easy for the young performer to get lost in the trappings of success rather than enjoy the simple (yet lasting) rewards it brings. These celebrities remind us that true success is about the work you do, not the stuff you have.

Having grown up with a family of eight that saw its fair share of hard times, Sarah Jessica Parker couldn’t be any different from her famous “Sex and the City” character. She and husband Matthew Broderick made a point to not spoil their son, who (according to Sarah in a 2013 interview) “only wears hand-me-downs because I've got all these older nephews. I think it's incumbent on my husband and me to really stress and to show James Wilkie by example what it means to owe your community something and that he is not entitled to the benefits of our hard work." [Source: Yahoo Finance]

Leonardo Dicaprio has risen from bit parts in 90s sitcoms to become one of the biggest leading men in film, yet his spending tells a different story. Leo prefers commercial flights to private jets, and as an eco-conscious celebrity, he tends to drive hybrid cars. He’s also known to be very generous to a number of causes. Money is important to him, but for all the right reasons: “…it allows me the freedom to choose what I want to do as an actor and most importantly because I want to accumulate enough so that one day I can do something really great and beneficial for other people, for the environment or for children." [Source: DailyFinance.com]

Jennifer Lawrence may be one of the world’s highest-paid actresses (and an Oscar-winner to boot), but she owns the thrifty lifestyle. Though she recently bought an LA mansion, it was not something Ms. Lawrence rushed into, having lived in humble apartments and her parents' condo as recently as 2012.  She’s also known for shying away from the club life and high-end dining experiences in favor of simpler fare, even going so far as to order a McDonald’s Happy Meal on the Oscars red carpet. This quote sums up her financial philosophy: "Mini-bars are difficult, because it's like yes, I can afford a $6 Snickers bar, but there's just something wrong with that!"  [Source: Elle.com]

Poet and transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson once said “The reward of a thing well done is having it done.” These are wise words for all walks of life, but for young actors on the path to success, they can help keep feet firmly planted on the ground.

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