My friend Chris Cade (Spiritual-Short-Stories.com) just posted an amazing video on Facebook of Susan Boyle.  We have American Idol and the U.K. has Britain’s Got Talent 2009.  I have to say that Susan Boyle’s got courage.  You will get chills watching this.  There is a story to be told here about judging people we know nothing about (not that judging anyone or anything serves us in any way.)  Susan has Big Courage, spark, enthusiasm, humility, humbleness, and some sass.  47 Year old Susan Boyle wows the judges with her performance in the auditions for Britains Got Talent, singing I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables.

I was unable to download the video, as it is disabled by request, but please go to the link below to view. The lyrics appear below the video.  I hope you have as much fun watching as I did.  Now go make it a courageous day.

Susan Boyle – Singer – Britains Got Talent 2009

I quote from You Tube 

“47 Year old Susan Boyle wows the judges with her performance in the auditions for Britains Got Talent, singing I dreamed a dream from Les Miserables.”  

Here are the Lyrics -Thanks to NewHotdox 

“I dreamed a dream in time gone by

When hope was high

And life woth living

I dreamed that love would never die

I dreamed that God would be forgiving.

Then I was young and unafraid

And dreams were made and used

And wasted

There was no ransom to be paid

No song unsung

No wine untasted.

But the tigers come at night

With their voices soft as thunder

As they tear your hope apart

As they turn your dream to shame.

And still

I dream he’ll come to me

That we will live the years together

But there are dreams that cannot be

And there are storms

We cannot weather…

I had a dream my life would be

So different form this hell I’m living

so different now from what it seemed

Now life has killed

The dream I dreamed. “

“Stillness In The Winds Of Chaos Is A Mighty Sword.”

~~Debra Oakland~~

Enthusiasm is very important for success in any endeavor.  Mediocrity is easy.  Achieving greatness takes different skills which require courage. These 2 quotes are  a favorite of mine from Og Mandino.

~~Og Mandino~~

“Every memorable act in the history of the world is a triumph of enthusiasm. Nothing great was ever achieved without it because it gives any challenge or any occupation, no matter how frightening or difficult, a new meaning. Without enthusiasm you are doomed to a life of mediocrity but with it you can accomplish miracles.”

“I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.”

Debra Oakland @ Living in Courage Online

John Rendall and Ace Berg found a cub for sale at Harrod’s in a cramped space. They bought the cub and named him Christian. They played with Christian on the grounds of a church until he became to big to keep at home. The introduced him back into the wild of Africa.
One year later they went to see Christian in the wild. They were told that the lion was wild now, the head of his own pride and would not remember them. Here is their courageous story.

I see people all over the world with disabilities that display so much courage. I see many who live off of the streets, suffering or leading lives of constant struggle. I prefer to write about people that get up and do something with their life. One of those people is 9 year old Christopher McKitten of the U.K. What a living example of courage in action. Christopher has Ewing’s Sarcoma, which is a rare cancer. This chap had surgery and was back to school in less than a month after having his let amputated from the thigh. This is a child that plays football on crutches! There are people who have gone through much less and won’t get up and cross the street to help themselves. I really admire children. They have such resilience and positivity.

Here is a quote from his grandpa:

“I’ve never heard him once complain about what he’s been through. He’s just unbelievable.”

Christoper was one of 3 children that won the Champion Child of Courage award recently. The judges had such a tough time trying to pick a winner, that all three children were awarded equally.

JUDGES of the Champion Child of Courage award found it such a tough task trying to decide on a winner that they took the generous step of awarding prizes to all three shortlisted youngsters. Chris Henderson, sales and marketing manager for sponsors Anson Ltd, said:

“It’s been very, very difficult for us to pick from three children that have shown such courage. They keep on smiling through all their problems and that’s a lesson to us all as we sit round these tables about why we should keep a smile on our faces.

“So it’s a little bit different tonight. I am not going to announce one winner, I am going to announce three because the decision was so difficult it just wasn’t fair to pick one alone.

To go through great adversity, smile and never complain – Wow, now that’s courage.