Spotlight: Charice!

Charice Acts from Strength!

What is it about her And I am Telling you I’m not Going performance on Star King #38 (see above) that was so compelling?  Sure her voice is amazing, was amazing even then, but it wasn’t her voice that got me.  It was the fact that she was sooo COMFORTABLE on that stage!  Totally at ease like she owned it.  It’s rare enough to see that in more seasoned and older performers, but to see this in a child?  I thought that was remarkable!  

I was hooked.

I scoured the internet for videos, news articles on this girl. I read all the comments under each video/article and did everything I could to find out more.  And every bit of video and news article I found reinforced the initial impression of how comfortable she is on stage and furthermore seemingly totally comfortable in her own skin! Totally amazing for a 16 year old!  So many of us grow old and die without ever having known what that’s like.  That is what I find most compelling about Charice.

So what’s so great about being comfortable in her own skin, you ask?

If you’re thinking of comfort in the sense of providing physical ease, that is not the meaning I’m inferring here.  The word comfort originally came from the old French word confort (strengthening; from a position of strength – inside a fort); from late Latin confortare (strengthen),  com (from) and fortis (strong).  From strength.  So the original meaning of the word comfort is from strength.  That is what I find most amazing about Charice. She acts from strength. 

Let me illustrate.

At 3 years old she watched as her father aimed a gun at her mother.  An experience like that would cripple many humans emotionally.  How did she respond?  She sings so she can help her Mom because she couldn’t help her then.  (See Maalaala mo Kaya featuring her life.) How cool is that?

When told that she was not pretty enough nor good enough to make it as a singer, she was even more determined to show that she can sing and was not deterred by the misguided notion that she didn’t have the looks to be one.  That is jaw-dropping response to life!  She entered some 80 plus singing contests with one thought in mind: To win.  Not for glory, not for popularity, but to help her mother put food on the table.  That is single-mindedness unswayed!

When finding herself in an awkward situation like the infamous June ’08 episode of ASAP with Sam and company, she addressed the situation without blaming anyone, AND at the same time she did not exonerate anyone either. She simply spoke of how the mishap occurred, nothing more, nothing less.  Another jaw-dropping response to adversity!

When asked who she wants to thank at the end of a  Filipino show, she is quite precise in the way she recites who she is grateful to.  “To all those who support me,” she says, in addition to some specific names specially mentioned.  That is telling!  She doesn’t play blatant politics. The girl is devoid of pretext!!!

She taught herself to play the guitar by tone because she can’t read music. What could be considered an obstacle by some, she treats simply as a walk around!

To keep her single-minded focus on track, she kept a dream journal and filled it with sketches of how she envisioned what is possible. There are those who view this as audacious behavior, boldly venturing forth into uncharted territory. But it is precisely this ‘no limits’ view of what’s possible that is so apt from someone who acts from strength!

Her unquestioned loyalty to family guides her and is a source of strength in that she knows why she is doing what she is doing.  Watching her before the Celine Dion MSG concert, you could tell this appearance was going to be the most challenging for her. Not because of the song picked, not because of the crowd, not because she will be singing with Celine, but because she will be singing for her Mom. The crowd who cheered for her and cried with her celebrated her for touching their hearts because Charice spoke from her heart. That is acting from strength!

Acting from strength is acting from abundance (Yes, I can, no excuses stance on life!), not from lack.  When faced with adversity or obstacles, she does not cower. She meets life head on and goes about what she needs to do for her family, for herself. She is not shy about stating matter-of-factly what she would like to accomplish in life.  She wants to be well-known all over the world.  Such declaration of intent is what prompts some to brand her ‘mayabang.’  But is she being boastful? Arrogant? In her defense, some have explained away such seeming arrogance as plain and simple confidence.  Yes, she seems to fully trust her capabilities.  But I call it acting from strength because she truly enjoys singing for others. Even when I think she could easily opt out and drop dead from exhaustion, she finds the energy to give every performance her all because she appreciates that others appreciate what she does. She feeds off adversity AND appreciation.  The girl is not picky!  She simply sings, acts out of love. That is acting from strength.

She endears herself to us because we can tell there is something special about her.  Her giggles are infectious, her enthusiasm engaging, her voice sweeps you away, her delivery is potent because … well, she’s a natural! She does because she can and makes no apologies for it.  That is acting from strength!

This is why I chuckle when I read advice for her on how to take care of her voice, how to act, how to be. The girl could write a book on how to be!  I chuckle equally when I read concerns from those who want to protect her because after all, she is only 16!   You know how Charice handles criticism?  Leave them alone, she says. Have you ever heard her complain about all those who find fault with how she is, who she is? She doesn’t distract herself with such pickiness. If anything she uses critical comments as fuel propelling her to her dreams.  To her, they are not just dreams. To someone who acts from strength, it is reality.

We all could be so lucky to witness this rare breed of humanity!  

 

Charice on Good Morning America

Courtesy of Good Morning America and Charified