Hi, I sent this piece by email a while ago - apologies to those who have read it before.
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I would like to share with you a filmclip that I have watched many times in the last 18 months. This is about having a dream, believing it, and doing whatever it takes to reach the dream.
About a year ago, I stood at the luggage arrival at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, and heard a voice over my shoulder that I was sure I recognised. I turned and saw a short, plump, very slightly confident, but mainly shy English guy talking to a friend. I realised I had been watching him on my ipod just minutes before on the plane. His name is Paul Potts. Paul was on a talent show in England, called 'Britain's got Talent' and the filmclip clip I had seen was his audition at a pre-round before the full TV show. It is a fascinating piece.
He walked on stage, probably preceded by a Britney lookalike and followed by a Madonna or Beyonce impersonator. As the panel size him up, you can see them immediately think 'No...'. One of the judges asks 'Paul - what are you here for Paul?' with an element of 'what the hell are you doing here, Paul? Hardly Britney, are you?'
Paul looks them in the eye and, in perhaps the first proud moment in his life, answers the question calmly - 'To sing Opera'.
The camera switches to the judges' panel - once again they are seen to be thinking 'can't we get onto the next one? What about a GirlzOwn copy?'
Paul stares them down in twisted-tooth confidence. He is not a naturally attractive guy, let's face it. But he knows what is coming. He knows he is going to show them. Because he has done the work to prepare. And he has the talent. They are on the panel not because of talent, but because of reputation. But Paul is confident, despite his admission that confidence is a difficult thing for him. He has the look of an underdog about to bite. A look which the panel, self-absorbed, totally ignore.
The guy on the end (I have forgotten his name, no talent, judge, forgettable... - I just remember Paul Potts from this piece) says casually 'OK, ready when you are. ' and looks away, uninterested. Paul glances across to the music cue, again with surprising confidence. The familiar strains of 'Nessun Dorma' start up. Paul knows he has done the work, and it is his moment.
And he sings. Like Pavarotti and Caruso crossed. After 10 seconds, the crowd start to cheer. The panel wakes up. Hang on, I should have seen this one coming, I should have claimed this one!
Whenever I look at this clip of Paul Potts singing, I see years of hard work in seconds of brilliance. He looks like he is singing, shouting, 'I will show you. You think I am some short fat bloke lacking in talent, but I will show you.' And he does. Emphatic. He proves in 1 minute's singing that he has pure, breathtaking talent, based on hard work and belief, against all expectation.
The panel are incredible. They fight to claim the glory that should be Paul's (because they are the 'celebrity judges', surely they are the stars...?). Count the number of times they say 'I' in the moments after this amazing display of quality. 'I think...' But all can see through this. Paul Potts is the only star shining here.
His story is simple, but remarkable. He dreamed of singing Opera, and despite having a standard job selling phones in a shop in England, he spent 1000's of pounds and 100's of hours having lessons to learn to sing opera. He didn't look or sound like an opera singer. But his dream was to sing, to sing Opera, and he worked for years to get his chance. His moment came in this clip. All his dreams came to that one minute of singing. And you can see all of that work and belief in that one minute of singing.
The Epilogue is perfect. He won the Talent program on British TV, won a recording contract, and is hugely successful. I have seen Paul Potts Cd's selling in shops all over the world, and he has reached a level of success which is only surpassed by Pavarotti.
But this clip was the start of it all. It is the transformation of a man from one person - his life - to another - his dream. He didn't achieve it in a minute of singing. He achieved it after hour upon hour of hard work, waiting for his opportunity, believing it would come. When he had the chance, he showed them, and he is an inspiration for us all.
Watch the clip. And believe in dreams. And let's do the work to achieve them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA
About a year ago, I stood at the luggage arrival at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, and heard a voice over my shoulder that I was sure I recognised. I turned and saw a short, plump, very slightly confident, but mainly shy English guy talking to a friend. I realised I had been watching him on my ipod just minutes before on the plane. His name is Paul Potts. Paul was on a talent show in England, called 'Britain's got Talent' and the filmclip clip I had seen was his audition at a pre-round before the full TV show. It is a fascinating piece.
He walked on stage, probably preceded by a Britney lookalike and followed by a Madonna or Beyonce impersonator. As the panel size him up, you can see them immediately think 'No...'. One of the judges asks 'Paul - what are you here for Paul?' with an element of 'what the hell are you doing here, Paul? Hardly Britney, are you?'
Paul looks them in the eye and, in perhaps the first proud moment in his life, answers the question calmly - 'To sing Opera'.
The camera switches to the judges' panel - once again they are seen to be thinking 'can't we get onto the next one? What about a GirlzOwn copy?'
Paul stares them down in twisted-tooth confidence. He is not a naturally attractive guy, let's face it. But he knows what is coming. He knows he is going to show them. Because he has done the work to prepare. And he has the talent. They are on the panel not because of talent, but because of reputation. But Paul is confident, despite his admission that confidence is a difficult thing for him. He has the look of an underdog about to bite. A look which the panel, self-absorbed, totally ignore.
The guy on the end (I have forgotten his name, no talent, judge, forgettable... - I just remember Paul Potts from this piece) says casually 'OK, ready when you are. ' and looks away, uninterested. Paul glances across to the music cue, again with surprising confidence. The familiar strains of 'Nessun Dorma' start up. Paul knows he has done the work, and it is his moment.
And he sings. Like Pavarotti and Caruso crossed. After 10 seconds, the crowd start to cheer. The panel wakes up. Hang on, I should have seen this one coming, I should have claimed this one!
Whenever I look at this clip of Paul Potts singing, I see years of hard work in seconds of brilliance. He looks like he is singing, shouting, 'I will show you. You think I am some short fat bloke lacking in talent, but I will show you.' And he does. Emphatic. He proves in 1 minute's singing that he has pure, breathtaking talent, based on hard work and belief, against all expectation.
The panel are incredible. They fight to claim the glory that should be Paul's (because they are the 'celebrity judges', surely they are the stars...?). Count the number of times they say 'I' in the moments after this amazing display of quality. 'I think...' But all can see through this. Paul Potts is the only star shining here.
His story is simple, but remarkable. He dreamed of singing Opera, and despite having a standard job selling phones in a shop in England, he spent 1000's of pounds and 100's of hours having lessons to learn to sing opera. He didn't look or sound like an opera singer. But his dream was to sing, to sing Opera, and he worked for years to get his chance. His moment came in this clip. All his dreams came to that one minute of singing. And you can see all of that work and belief in that one minute of singing.
The Epilogue is perfect. He won the Talent program on British TV, won a recording contract, and is hugely successful. I have seen Paul Potts Cd's selling in shops all over the world, and he has reached a level of success which is only surpassed by Pavarotti.
But this clip was the start of it all. It is the transformation of a man from one person - his life - to another - his dream. He didn't achieve it in a minute of singing. He achieved it after hour upon hour of hard work, waiting for his opportunity, believing it would come. When he had the chance, he showed them, and he is an inspiration for us all.
Watch the clip. And believe in dreams. And let's do the work to achieve them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k08yxu57NA
