The White Rhino Report - “A Marketplace Where Many Diverse Ideas Meet for Coffee!”: Coal from Wales Turns into a Diamond

If you could use a “feel good” story today – this is it!

I was at Fenway Park last night helping the Red Sox to kick off the second half of the season on the right foot. Joining me were my friends, Bob Allard and Dan O’Sullivan. In the course of our free-flowing conversation that spanned the nine innings, Bob happened to mention: “Did you get a chance to hear the remarkable singer who emerged on Simon Cowell’s show, 'Britain’s Got Talent'”?

What Bob told me about this individual was so intriguing that I came into the office early this morning to search out the footage on UTube. What I saw and heard moved me to tears. The story reads like a Charles Dickens script, with a touch of the film “Billy Elliott.” In short, a self-effacing, awkward working class Brit with a broken tooth – who has toiled as a mobile phone salesman – emerges as the unlikely winner of Britain’s talent search show – similar to “American Idol.”

I have copied links to several segments that I could not get enough of. They are, in order:

1) Paul Potts’ first audition, singing the very difficult Puccini aria, “Nessun Dorma” from the opera, Turandot;

2) His winning performance of “Time to Say Good-bye”

3) The awards show announcement of his victory

4) A virtual duet with Pavarotti

5) His appearance on “The Today Show”

6) Interview on British TV

7) Interview on British TV

What comes across loud and clear as I watch this progression of performances and interviews is the genuineness of this humble man who has been unexpectedly tapped for certain greatness as a performer. What I have just experienced in plunging headlong into the Paul Potts phenomenon is exhilarating, challenging and humbling.

As you watch this story emerge through watching these clips, I challenge you to process what you are seeing, hearing and feeling on several levels.

Ask yourself: “Is there a Paul Potts inside of me waiting to be let out? If there is, what’s holding me back?”

Then ask yourself: “Is there a potential Paul Potts somewhere in my life – in my family, in my neighborhood, among my colleagues at work? What can I do to encourage him/her to let the genie out of the bottle?”

The final line from the aria that has become Paul Potts’ signature piece is the strident, moving, ascending repetition of the line: Vincera, vincera, vincera!

I shall conquer!

How fitting!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oxTy7KIAaA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDB9zwlXrB8&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwkVnyfdGYQ&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBbf3cy_wYM&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGNIRy8A3NQ&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8s77JLUzIc&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1be_xutYtKA&mode=related&search=