Bindi Irwin Beats Criticism With ‘Happy Thoughts’

PINT-sized Wildlife Warrior superstar Bindi Irwin has revealed she copes with the criticism that comes with fame by focusing only on ‘happy things’. Counting down to her 10th birthday next week, the Logie and Emmy award-winning mini-celebrity said in an exclusive interview with The Courier-Mail yesterday that she regarded herself simply as a wildlife conservation messenger.

"I don’t think of myself as being famous," she said. "I just feel I’m a teacher who is teaching wildlife conservation. "Being well known is a way of getting the conservation message out, which is really nice." Bindi said she knew there would always be critics but she took no notice of such negativity.

She said she preferred to focus on the good things in the world and believed in the simple philosophy often demonstrated by her younger brother, Robert, 4, who liked to live in the moment. "Robert has a great approach to life," she said. "He lives one day at a time and doesn’t worry about what will happen in the future. He just likes to play with his chickens and revels in the moment which is happening … which is a good way to be.

"People are always worrying about what might happen tomorrow when it’s what happens today that counts. "Negativity doesn’t worry me. I like to focus on the happy things in life." Maturity aside, it was still hard to contain the little-girl enthusiasm that bubbled over as Bindi talked about looking forward to her huge public birthday bash to be held at her Australia Zoo home on the Sunshine Coast next Thursday, July 24.

Using the words "I’m very excited" at least 12 times in as many minutes, she said: "Our tradition is that birthdays are not just for yourself but for sharing. "Every birthday is very exciting - you wake up in the morning so excited because everyone is coming. It’s so exciting I can’t wait. Double digits means double the fun which is so exciting." Showing the same mischievous sense of humour as her mother, Terri, and late dad, Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, Bindi also said, in The Castle-style, that her Logie and Emmy awards had gone "straight to the pool room". "All our precious things go to the pool room. It’s a family joke," she said. "My next goal will be the Grammies - no, just joking.

It was such an honour to have the Emmy given to me - it’s the most amazing thing ever and I can’t believe it. I was in tears basically and I took it to bed with me but it had really sharp wings." Bindi said while it was hard to pick a favourite animal she probably liked crocodiles and snakes best. "It’s so exciting that I was named after a crocodile - my dad called a crocodile Bindi and then he named me. And I’m named after a prickle as well," she giggled.

Bindi said she was now working on more episodes of her award-winning series Bindi: The Jungle Girl which would also feature her best friend, Rosie Harris, as well as her mum and little brother, and clips of her father.  Source

111 aleblanc Published 7/15/08   Message Add to Friends