Many people who watch these three short video clips ... and read this article ... find it really touches them and shows them what You can achieve when you have the courage, self motivation and the right support to really be yourself Now ...
When we're born, we're natural, we're aware and we're not afraid to show people how we are and what we want. We have self confidence. Think of most very young kids and especially babies and you'll recognise this with no problem!
It's like we have a Diamond inside us. Something people see when we are at our best ... a pure clear set of talents, a genuine and direct way that connect us with the world around us.
Mosty, what happens over the years, is that our diamond gets covered in stuff that starts to bury it out of sight. Covered over because we learn to doubt ourselves, because we pick up beliefs along the way that we are somehow not as special a person as we thought in our early months and years. We learn to play safe and to just blend into the crowd. We start to forget what makes us different and special. And with that, our self esteem sometimes feels like it is fading too.
It's not our fault. It just happens because we grow up, go to school, meet people, have experiences, get a job and mature. It's life.
But how would it be if we were all to reveal a bit more of our inner diamond. Just a little ... at least to start with :)
Remember how it felt those times you were just really happy and doing what felt right for you. How much energy there is, how relaxed you feel, how much easier things seem?
Ok .... now we are not saying let your true self out all the time. And we recognise for most of us, the older we get, the more scary this seems at first. But when you realise how much of a difference this will make in how you live you life ... Now have a look at this clips we love from YouTube. They come from a televised talent competition in the UK.
Here are some things to become aware of and keep in mind as you watch these clips.
Yes, these people have musical talent. But it's not about the singing, it's about their self motivation and it's about the chance they take in showing their real selves and just going for the moment. In front of millions of viewers. In front of a large audience in the theatre.
And in front of three world weary (and frankly often quite rude judges). They knew all this and they still had the courage to be the best they could be.
Just watch this first clip of Connie who is six years old. All you have to do is click on the arrow in the picture to see the clip.
What a beautiful beautiful voice.
But what it's more important to notice is how natural Connie is, how genuine and direct she is and most importantly, how this genuineness touched everybody in front of her.
It's more than her voice, its the human connection she makes. Notice the hush that came over the audience and the stillness of the judges right from the start. Now that's making a connection!
So you may be thinking ... it's easier for a young child. They haven't had the knocks learned to really hide their true selves at that age. At least, we hope they haven't.
So let's have a look now at Andrew age 13. He has had a few more knocks in life as he mentions ...
It probably took hell of a lot of courage for Andrew to clean off the diamond inside and to take the chance of really making a connection with the audience.
And boy did he do it.
Did you see the look on the judges faces when he was singing. Somebody once said "every once of courage you use turns into confidence".
Andrew has just shown us how true that is.
And as we get older, it seems to get a little harder.
But here is proof you can do it.
This is Paul.
He's older and you can see by the way he dresses himself, his body language and the way he speaks that he has been through has been along the roller coaster of knocks and good times as we all have.
So let's have a look at how he did the first time he walked out on this stage ...
Notice the difference when he started to sing. And how he seemed to almost shrink back into his more nervous, more fragile set of beliefs after he finished singing.
See here is the thing!
You don't have to show your true clear confident self all the time. Just know its there and start to let the sun shine on it every now and then at the start.
Remember every once of courage you use turns into confidence. So the more you do it, the more confidence you have.
If Paul could do it, you can do it.
Remember what he said ... "my dream is to spend my life doing what I feel I was born to do"
Amanda (one of the judges) was only a little bit off target in her praise. She said Paul was a lump of coal that may turn into a diamond. We think he is, and always was, a diamond that looks just a little bit like a lump of coal!
It's not about singing or being on television. It's about being true to your best self and having the support you want to step out now from under the dross that life seems to heap on us.
And do you know how many people were inspired by Connie, Andrew ... and especially Paul?
So many find their courage as well as their singing so inspiring
.... that these three clips have been watched more than 72,000,000 times on the web to date
