"You can accomplish anything you want to." One of the more ridiculous of statements from the motivational speakers. NO you can't. American Idol is proof positive.
I've noticed an interesting trend on the preliminary rounds of Idol in the last few weeks. The contestants who come in to the audition with a pompous attitude and false bravado touting their (ahem) talent aren't making the cut. Kids that have been praised (perhaps even overpraised) by their families and friends for their marginal singing ability are crushed when they don't make it. Tears, swearing and tirades of parents outside the room mockingly offering, "what do you know Simon Cowell?" are commonplace on prime-time TV.
But those with a silent "knowing,"a humble demeanor and a truckload of talent are the ones who are on their way to Hollywood. They don't need to boast about their talent. They let their talent speak for them.
It really seems to be true: the loudest one in the room is usually the weakest one in the room.
Now if only there were a pre-qualifying round to weed out the talentless, the preeners and the delusionals, I might be able to sit through an entire hour without wondering why parents won't be brutally honest with their kids. It's a shame to find out you have no talent in front of millions of people when your parents could have saved you the embarrassment by simply being honest instead of trying to coddle your delicate, little self-esteem - only to have it stomped on and crushed on international television.
Thanks Mom and Dad. Great attitude (wink). And don't get me started on beauty pageants for five year-olds. There's a psych ward waiting for those parents.
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Attitude w/ ATTITUDE by Kevin Burns - Corporate Attitude/Culture Strategist
Creator of the 90-Day Strategy to Greatness Culture
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3 comments:
Well stated! Its scary thinking about what our future generations hold for us...and what they will truly be capable or incapable of doing.
You are sooooo right!! I couldn't agree more. We are raising a (generally speaking) generation of kids who have been handed everything, including a missplaced sense (attitude) of entitlement. I think as parents we have done our kids a great disservice, by not allowing them to experience REAL LIFE!!
Amen! Has the phrase "don't quit your day job" gone out of style? Tantrums aren't tolerated at two, what makes them cool at twenty?? (And like your blog about the obnoxious men on the c-train...this is a permanent record on international TV!!)
I'm all for helping my kids identify and build their strengths, dream big and do what makes their heart happy, but there are two sides to every coin and as a parent its my job to help them understand there are risks, limits and good/bad consequences to their choices. I don't want to help them climb their mountain and then push them off the cliff. They also need the skills to climb back down and find another path. The kids on American Idol probably never lost a game of Candy Land to their parents and never learned to handle disappointment, a fault of their parents. But it is those experiences they need to build determination and a hard work ethic. When mine are all grown up, my only goal is that they think first before they act and that their character will guide their decisions. We can't teach them everything, some will have to test the waters regardless of what we tell them. But if we keep coming to the rescue and protecting them they'll never learn from their own experiences and grow up to be respectful, contributing citizens.
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