Home
>
Success
>
Liberating Success Lessons from Singing - If It Is Rubbish, It Is Rubbish; If It Is Not, It is Not

Liberating Success Lessons from Singing - If It Is Rubbish, It Is Rubbish; If It Is Not, It is Not

Reggie Yates, a pop song presenter, was singing on 7th March 2005 at the UK Fame Academy for Comic Relief a charity that helps people in Africa and the UK. He is probably the worst singer in the group but has managed to survive to the last stages of the competition.

Following a key principle of evolution, the weakest singer gets slung out at the end of each day. Reggie has survived for several days even though he can't sing for toffee. Having been expelled from a choir at the age of eight I can relate to him and his lack of confidence and inability to sing. Gradually, however, his confidence is growing as he keeps being voted in. As his confidence grows, his tuning improves.

While he practised his song for Monday March 7th, Carrie Grant, the voice coach reassured Reggie that he was hitting the notes spot on. She commented:

"It just goes to show you that so much of singing is about confidence and what you are learning in here is building something in you because that is so much more in tune"

"Yes, it's getting better isn't it?" Reggie agreed.

Before his evening performance, Reggie had had his hair died red because he had allowed two goals in during an indoor game of soccer. He had agreed to pay a forfeit and his companions chose red hair. Reggie, being a man of his word, paid the forfeit and appeared on stage with close cropped red hair.

"Do you think it's going to improve your singing tonight" asked Cat the presenter.

"No-o!" replied Reggie emphatically. The audience laughed.

"But this performance is going to be all about having fun isn't it?" asked Cat.

"Yeah, man, I've had enough of being emotional and getting worried about songs. I'm going to try and enjoy it. And If it's rubbish, it's rubbish and if it's not it's not ".

Reggie sang a song of celebration and joy - 'Dancing on the ceiling' The words suited his mood of confidence and fun:

"What is happening here? Something going on It's not quite clear. Somebody turn on the lights We're going to have a party and its starting tonight

Oh oh what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling Oh oh what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling

So come on let's get loose. Don't hold back cause it ain't no use Got to keep your feet on the ground, because when we like to party We only want to get down

Oh oh what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling Oh oh what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling Oh oh what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling Oh oh what a feeling when we're dancing on the ceiling."

Reggie danced about the stage without a care in the world and sang with more confidence than ever before. Some of his singing was in tune! The audience gave him a rapturous reception.

One of the judges, Craig, gave his verdict: "Confidence and movement was great. The only thing I didn't like was the hair and the voice!"

Carrie Grant, the voice coach was laughing: " I noticed that the judges were bending down to listen closely to their monitors because they are not quite sure now whether you are out of tune or not. A couple of days ago they knew you were out of tune. Now they are not sure and that's good!"

I once played in a pop band where the singer was not always in tune but he sang with such confidence that everyone in the audience assumed that he was. The confident can get away with blue murder.

The secret to Reggie's success was his detachment from how good his performance would be: "If it's rubbish, it's rubbish and if it's not it's not".

Having accepted that his performance might be rubbish, he was free to go ahead and give it his best shot. This is a key success lesson in any activity.

Perfectionists become tense and anxious and sometimes do less than their best - those who are willing to work hard but to accept that they have much to learn can relax and let the chips fall where they may.

In the end Reggie's performance was a mixture of rubbish (weak singing) and not rubbish (movement and cheerful confidence) The audience loved it and they loved Reggie himself.The judges were left wondering! Reggie had successfully focused on his strengths and had successfully entertained the audience.

Growing confidence, focusing on one's strengths, accepting the possiblity of the worst outcome in advance and a cheeful, devil-may-care attitude, can be truly liberating and empowering. Reggie is still in the competition and is still dancing on the ceiling!

Resource box

John Watson is an award winning teacher and martial arts instructor. He has recently written two books about achieving your goals and dreams. They can both be found on his website http://www.motivationtoday.com along with a daily motivational message.

The title of the first book is "36 Laws To Ignite Your Inner Power And Realize Your Dreams Now!" The book can be found at this URL http://www.motivationtoday.com

You are welcome to publish the article above in your ezine so long as you do not alter it and keep the resource box as it is.

cleaning service near Bannockburn ..

In The News:

Phishing scammers use rnicrosoft.com domain to impersonate Microsoft by replacing "m" with "rn" in typosquatting attacks that steal login credentials.

OpenAI announces new teen safety rules for ChatGPT users under 18, blocking romantic roleplay and requiring extra caution on body image topics.

A 2025 data breach at fintech company 700Credit exposes personal information of more than 5.8 million people through compromised third-party integration partner.

Retailers lose $76.5 billion annually to return fraud as nearly 10% of U.S. retail returns involve fraudulent activity, with $850 billion in returns expected in 2025.

ShinyHunters claims responsibility for stealing 94GB of Pornhub user data affecting over 200 million records and demands Bitcoin ransom.

ChatGPT 2025 now connects to Apple Music, Canva, Expedia, TripAdvisor and OpenTable through built-in apps that help users create playlists, design graphics and more.

Apple releases emergency patches for two zero-day vulnerabilities actively exploited in attacks. iPhone and iPad users urged to update immediately.

DoorDash launches Zesty, an AI-powered social app that recommends restaurants through conversational search, now testing in San Francisco and New York.

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.