What American Idol Teaches Us

I don't have cable or satellite TV in Yangon; it's available, but we don't use it. So when I travel and stay in hotels, it's a bit of a treat to check-out cable.

Imagine my surprise when I was clicking through channels and found American Idol in Kuala Lumpur! And it was even season 12! I wasn't sure if it was a couple weeks behind or not, but it didn't matter. I was excited to plunge into the show since I missed last season.

It's not to say that I've been a die-hard American Idol fan. I haven't - and actually preferred The Voice last years to AI. Yet, being across the globe, watching American Idol provides a funny little connection to home. On Facebook, sometimes my friends talk about AI and mention who their favorite singer is. Now I can put a voice to the name.

While watching American Idol, I was reminded of the lessons that we can all learn from the contestants:

• Smile and stand proud when hearing critiques. 
• Be humble through criticisms and take what you can from the advice being given.
• Own your accomplishments. Soak them up, be part of them. Acknowledge when magical moments happen. (I was touched by the woman who got a standing ovation when singing The Cure's song. She stood in front of everyone, let her tears run. She was present.)
• Try your best. Put your best out there. 
• Be yourself at all times. Share who you are and hope you make a connection with others. (I really loved the country singer, Cree, and her different renditions of songs that sounded relevant and unique to her style.)
• Know who you are.

I think that all of the artists will be successful because even when they receive critiques that aren't entirely positive, they carry on. They continue to sing. They continue to try ... and they do so with a smile on their face.

Bravo to them. It's something we can all learn.