I’ve been amazed watching increasingly numerous clips of talented people from all walks of life being revealed on the … Got Talent Series. A common thread to all these clips is a lack of self confidence in the performers. It highlights the importance of promoting and developing self confidence in ourselves and in all those around us.
It all started with Susan Boyle, a 47 year old of unspecified profession who wants to sing like Elaine Page. Her appearance is frumpy and indistinctive. She was aware of the doubt of the audience and the judges as she poked fun at herself during the initial interview. Still she stood her ground and delivered a performance which brought down the house.
The next audition which left a lasting impression on me was that of Paul Potts. He is a mobile phone salesman by day but has an operatic voice which never loses connection. The tension on his face is palpable yet despite it, he delivers a clear performance which challenges our assumptions about our judgements others and hopefully also about ourselves.
To see more of Paul Potts, check out this link: http://www.youtube.com/profile?annotation_id=annotation_433215&user=paulpottstv&src_vid=1k08yxu57NA&feature=iv
A little less known in the inspirational “Got Talent” moments is the story of Jamie Pugh. He works two jobs, by night delivering pizza. He sings the challenging “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables, although I note he doesn’t sing the full version which has some harder sustained high notes. Forgive my nitpicking, but I’d like to hear the full version because I believe he has the talent.
A wrong song choice crippled his ultimate success in the competition but one would hope the exposure has changed his life for the better:
The hidden talents in people proves to be an international phenomenon. A homeless South Korean boy, Sung-Bong wows the audience with his talent and passion for life. A moving quote from scripture sums up the sentiments from this clip beautifully
[ 1 Peter 5:5 ] Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
The lates entry in the series of inspiration moments comes in the form of the singing duo: Jonathan and Charlotte. The clip focuses on rubenesque Jonathan who had been teased about his weight until he lost confidence. Fortunately he has a true friend in his partner Charlotte who defends him and comforts him such that they are able to deliver a stunning performance of “My Prayer” which will likely change the course of Jonathan’s life:
In reviewing these examples, I note that any talent, musical or otherwise requires fostering and guiding. It seems the exit strategy for so many of our students these days is a career in Computers, an MBA, or some sort of profession. The expectation of society is that few have valid talent to become ‘big stars’. The examples on this page are those who, despite tremendous self doubt came forward, tried and succeeded. Likely there are innumerable others who just need a few years of practice to rise to the echelons that these performers have risen to. The problem is not in a lack of talent, it is instead a problem of expectations and belief.
