“Joy Does Not Come From Material Things”, Linda Evans Shares Life Learned Lessons

As one gets older, one begins to realize that true joy and happiness does not come from material things.

Popular 1980s American soap star; Linda Evans known for her role as Crystal Carrington in Dynasty, has described how she realized that joy does not come from material things after she visited Africa in 2012.

Linda who is divorced and lives a quiet life in Washington state tells people to accept themselves for who they are. She said:

“Like most people, I thought that loving myself meant going to a spa or buying myself something to make myself feel better. It’s taken me a long time to realize that it comes from within.

“In 2012, I went to Africa with some friends and we had the opportunity to live with a Maasai tribe. During the day we used to walk with these warriors who had little in terms of wealth and who were one with nature, while at night we used to watch the stars. I was filled with an incredible sense of peace and joy – a feeling that being happy doesn’t require a lot of material things. When I returned home, I was at an incredible height.

“Before the trip, I had committed to attending a fashion show for the American Heart Association in New York. But back, when I tried on the dress that I was modeling, I was horrified. I will gain weight.

“How could I have had so much joy on my return from Africa, only to feel completely miserable afterward? What had changed my perspective? My judgment about what I looked like was killing my joy to be a part of this amazing show.

“Looking back now, I love myself for that moment because it taught me that we have to love ourselves in all our forms. When I was focused on my career and landed the role of Crystal in Dynasty, I had everything one could expect, yet I felt something was missing. Fame and success are great, but you can’t keep these things around forever, and trying doesn’t make you happy.

“Now I live on 70 acres in Washington state, where my life is quiet. I only work on special projects which fill my heart with joy. So, in 2019, after falling in love with a script written by filmmaker Todd Stephens, I accepted a role in his film Swan Song. It tells the story of an old man dying with sadness about his life, but who is reincarnated after revisiting his past.

“It’s one of the lovely things about getting older. Truly loving myself has been very valuable to me – no matter how late in life it happened.”

With a career spanning more than six decades, 79-year-old Linda Evans won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Drama Series for her Dynasty role in 1981 and was subsequently nominated every year from 1982 to 1985. She was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series in 1983. Evans won a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Female Performer in a New TV Program in 1982, and for Favorite Female TV Performer in 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986. She won a Soap Opera Digest Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in 1984 and 1985, according to Wikipedia.