Have you watched Susan Boyle yet? I just did. Four times. She is a talented performer and an inspiration.
Now this is not a story about vocal talent. Sure, Ms. Boyle has vocal talent. She could not have turned in that performance without it. But you know what? There are a lot of people out there with vocal talent. Having worked at a major regional opera company for ten years, I've seen and heard my share of talented singers.
Susan Boyle could not have turned in the performance that many of us have just watched without vocal talent. But she could not have turned it in either without something else. We can identify it, learn from it, and replicate it in our own lives. Today, Susan Boyle is our teacher.
Here's the factor that sets Ms. Boyle apart from the flock. She is, or at least was while on stage in the video recording I just watched, the master of her state.
Think about it. It would have been ever so easy for a woman of similar talent to have walked out on stage and met the expectations of the audience and the judges exactly. They expected her to bomb. You could see it on their faces. Had we been there, we could have undoubtedly felt it. So, no doubt, could Ms. Boyle.
But she was unflappable.
She somehow found the inner strength to stay true to her vision. Introductory banter aside, she was poised, confident, and charismatic. Another way to put that would be to say that she embodied the states of poise, confidence, and charisma. In the moment, her state described her. Out of that state came her performance.
I doubt it was an accident. It is probably safe to assume that Ms. Boyle is aware that she does not look like the typical sylph-like aspirant in a major talent competition. No matter. She is who she is -- a talented woman.
Not the least of Susan Boyle's talents is that of holding her composure and her state in the face of a challenge. And that is what we can all take home. If you haven't seen it yet, give the video a watch. If Ms. Boyle inspires you, consider adding her to your role model list. I have!
Watch Susan Boyle on "Britain's Got Talent."
Did you watch it? So what do you think? Confidence, charisma, poise, and ... ??? (Leave your comment below.)
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Comments (2)
I watched Susan Boyle, and like the rest of the audience had that same gut reaction. That of course changed once she opened up and sang.
Then, I like you, realized that there was much more to Susan Boyle than met the eye. She had had a dream for so many years, and she had finally found the inner strength to go for it. There are all too many of us who sit around and complain instead of doing something.
Isn't it just incredible that so many people criticize her?
Posted by Birte | April 26, 2009 3:04 AM
Posted on April 26, 2009 03:04
Susan Boyle is an incredibly talented lady who's been subjected to considerable criticism in the media. IMHO she deserves all of the success that she is having.
Posted by Taps Iorio | March 14, 2010 4:41 PM
Posted on March 14, 2010 16:41