Faithful Friends

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Auditions for Britain's Got Talent have surprised folks for years. Ever since the plain Susan Boyle surprised Simon and went on to make albums, the show has shown us the importance of giving people the opportunity to show what they can do. Today, I saw an audition that shows us the value of faithful friends.

Shy Guy Jonathan tells us that the only reason he's even out there is because his friend Charlotte is there with him. It's a good thing Simon wasn't his voice teacher, or we might never have heard him sing:

I'm also impressed with Jonathan's retort to Simon when Simon suggests Charlotte might hold him back. Even if that's true, Jonathan tells us that since they came as a duo, they will compete as a duo. That is an amazing story of friendship, and I hope she appreciates what kindness he just returned to her. I hope he continues to give attribution to his dear friend for helping him overcome all the stigma, particularly if he becomes a star as Simon predicts.

People sometimes need someone to believe in them. Since we spend every waking moment with ourselves, we are intimately familiar with our weaknesses. Since we focus on them in an effort to be better, we are acutely aware of where we have need of improvement and do not see the small steps made over many days. Frequently, people who look at us from the outside see most clearly where we are weak and where we are strong. When they lend their activation energy to us, encourage us forward, and accompany us to the fore, many times we find we can do things beyond our expectation because their faith in us multiplies our own. I have accomplished much in my life. Imagine what I might have accomplished if, rather than being a bane on my life, my ex-wife had been a boon.

I thank God for faithful friends. I thank the producers of the show for keeping the clips, the people who upload and share them, and those who pass them on to me. They remind us that one of the major ways in which we make positive change is by being friends with people who need our attention and affirmation. Sometimes, when it's hard to believe in ourselves it helps to have friends who believe in us, support us, sustain us, and help us become what they know we can be if we have the opportunity, the determination, and the assistance necessary to pay the price and win the prize.

I hope Jonathan becomes successful. I hope Charlotte is properly rewarded for her sacrifice and faith. That will encourage more faithful friends and elevate us all as a society and family of man.