3 Minute Wisdom

Oops! Your character is showing

I very seldom watch TV and when I do I prefer it to be something pleasant, interesting and instructional however I watched a little bit of Idols last night (only because it was on when I walked into the lounge)

Was it pleasant? Well, the young woman singing had a really good voice.

Was it interesting? Only from the point of view of watching the judges reactions which ranged from deliberate rudeness, to kindness, to an effort to impress.

Was it instructional? Yes, in that there were clear lessons in how to behave and in how not to behave, and left me with definite character impressions of the judges.

What always impresses me about Idols is the courage that it takes to stand up in front of a camera and perform, knowing that hundreds of thousands of people are watching you. What makes it more remarkable is that the contestant is in front of a panel of judges, who, experience has shown to have the ability to be devastatingly rude and dismissive. And then to top it all, to have to sing without any background music is very challenging.

I really feel that the judges ought to be put through an Emotional Mastery course before being selected, not to help them deal with the "singing" of some contestants, but to make them aware of the power of their contribution to build or break.

Now I realise that not every one can be an instant star. Not everyone has the personality to immediately dazzle, but I can't help but wonder at how much talent has been buried under the shame of the harsh criticism, that is received at the hands of these "judges".

We take people and put them into an unnatural environment and then expect them to perform naturally. The contestant has possibly performed the act many times at home, in surroundings where they feel confident and unthreatened. Now we put them into a high risk environment. The stakes are high, success or failure, there is a lot to gain, financially, and a lot to lose, emotionally.

Most "stars" today have had years of coaching and have a very strong support team. I do not know if many of them would risk their careers by appearing live without any backup. I don't think that we would recognise many of them if they did.

This is my call to the judges of Idols and to you if ever you have to judge someone's performance.
Show respect for the courage of the performer. If you must give a "no" vote, and this will happen, not everyone can pass, do it kindly. Leave the persons self respect intact. Give advice and guidance, identify the areas for improvement without criticising and condemning. Leave them with the feeling that, in time, they can grow and become what they dream of, this just isn't their time now.

Realise that the way you treat others says more about your character than anything else that you do. So treat others in a way that builds your character and reputation to where you want to be.

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Affirmation

By controlling my attitude I will ensure that every person I meet today will be uplifted, inspired and happier for the meeting.

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