by Brian Solis
A New Way to Sing
Allow me to share a wonderful and inspiring story about the power of positivity and how profoundly we can reshape our neural pathways.
You are the architect of your life. You have to design it, plan it, and build it into what you want it to be. Our powers to do so, when we think positively, are truly astonishing.
It's the story of Mandy Harvey.19 I was first introduced to this lovely young woman when she performed during the 2017 season of America's Got Talent.20 Harvey was one of five artists that season to earn what's called “The Golden Buzzer.” Each of the judges only gets one “Golden Buzzer” per season and it advances the contestant forward regardless of how the other judges vote.
Just before Mandy's performance, the much-maligned and sometimes cynical judge (and producer) Simon Cowell asked her to share her story. What it took for her to stand on that stage is something I'll never forget.
“What's your name?” Simon asked.
“I'm Mandy Harvey,” she cheerfully responded while motioning her hands just in front of the ukulele she's wearing.
“And, who's this?” He asked while pointing to his left.
“My interpreter,” she responded.
“Okay Mandy, I think I worked this out. So, you're deaf?” he questioned.
“Yes. I lost all my hearing when I was 18 years old,” she explained.
The whole audience sighed.
“Wow.” He paused. “And, how old are you now?”
“29. So, it's 10 years.”
The camera panned to the stage wings where her proud, nervous father was looking on.
“Wow.” Cowell paused again. “Mandy, how did you lose your hearing, if you don't mind me asking?”
“I have a connective tissue disorder, so basically, I got sick and my nerves deteriorated,” she shared.
Simon then asked, “So, you were singing before you lost your hearing?”
“I've been singing since I was 4. So I left music after I lost my hearing. Then I figured out how to get back into singing with muscle memory, using visual tuners and trusting my pitch.”
Judge Howie Mandel then jumped up and exclaimed, “So your shoes are off because you're feeling the vibration, is that how you're following the music?”
“Yeah, I'm feeling the tempo, the beat, through the floor,” she confirmed. She had taught her brain to find a new way to listen to music.
Simon put his hands together as if he was to pray and asked, “Mandy, what are you going to sing?”
“I'm going to sing a song that I wrote called, ‘Try.'”
“Okay. Can you tell us what it's about?” Simon inquired, now resting his chin on his folded hands.
I want to do more with my life than just give up.
“After I lost my hearing, I gave up. But I want to do more with my life than just give up.”
At this point the audience roared. Everyone wanted her to do well. But I think part of the thrill was that we all give up sometimes and we all know we should keep going.
Simon sat back, smiled, and said, “Good for you. Good for you. Look, this is your moment and good luck.”
Mandy then turned to the side of the stage and waved for her accompanying musicians, a keyboardist and bass player, to join her. Her father looked on with great concern.
The music started, and then Mandy's angelic voice shocked the audience. It was an unforgettable wow moment. As the camera panned across the audience, many audience members wiped tears from their eyes. When Mandy belted out, “So, I will try!”, the audience and judges leapt to their feet. Her voice trembled as she became overcome with the love . . .
Honestly, I never think I'm going to be surprised or amazed by people. And then you turn up. Just the fact that you are you.
The room erupted in a long, standing ovation as Mandy smiled with tears of joy and relief.
After the applause finally died down, Simon sat down and with the biggest grin, said to her, “Mandy, I don't think you're going to need a translator for this.” He then reached over the judge's panel and hit the golden buzzer. The crowd erupted with another standing ovation.
Mandy placed her hands on the side of her face and broke down into a state of elation and disbelief. Her father cupped his hands and placed them over his mouth as he watched.
Golden confetti filled the air and showered Mandy and the stage.
Simon hugged the interpreter.
Mandy's proud father rushed to hug and congratulate her.
Cowell then approached the stage, held her, gave her two thumbs up, looked her in her eyes and told her, “You know, I've done this a long time. That was one of the most amazing things I've ever seen and heard.”
When he sat back down, he left Mandy with these words of appreciation and encouragement: “Honestly, I never think I'm going to be surprised or amazed by people. And then you turn up. Just the fact that you are you. But I think it was your voice, your tone, the song was beautiful . . . congratulations, you are straight through to the live show. Mandy, we found each other.”
I wanted to share this story not only because it's a deeply moving example of how we can retrain our brains. It's also a story of the sheer determination to stay positive in order to pursue one's purpose.
In 2013, Mandy earned the opportunity to sing at the Kennedy Center21 as part of a special concert in celebration of the 23rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and National Council on Independent Living Conference.22 There's a moment where she shares a more intimate look at her darker days, when she lost her hearing and how, and when she finally was able to picture her future as a singer and her purpose in returning to it.
When I was losing my hearing when I was in music school, I got really depressed as you could probably imagine. And, I just stopped doing music. I didn't feel the need anymore. I didn't want to anymore. It just didn't feel right. But, every day, I sat in my room by myself. I sang this song over and over and over again. The meaning behind it, I guess it's supposed to be happy, but it's not for me. It's more like, I'm not in that good place yet. I'm not there, but I can see it in the future and I know that I need to smile through this. I need to make it okay. I just want to encourage you . . . there are so many challenges in life that you feel like you can't get over and this is your moment. You can't just let it go because it's difficult. If you have a dream, you do it. If it's different or if it changes, then go around, find a different road, but find the finish line. And, smile through it. It's going to be okay.
If you have a dream, you do it. If it's different or if it changes, then go around, find a different road, but find the finish line.
She then went on to sing a song called Smile, an instrumental piece originally written by Charlie Chaplin in 1936 for the film Modern Times. Later, John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons added lyrics to it, giving the song a sense of melancholy and then optimism. Smile served as the title track to her debut album and her life. The song reminds us that even in the most challenging, darkest or scariest of times, we are faced with an important choice. We either fret, grieve, shut down, or we smile and work our way toward a more productive, promising and rewarding path. I mean, what's the using of crying when a smile can change everything?
“My passion, the whole reason why I sing, is so that I can say, ‘Hey, this is what I've done; I really hope that I can encourage you to do the same.'”
Mandy once told the BBC23 in its feature on her, “I sing to encourage other people; that's what makes me happy. My passion, the whole reason why I sing, is so that I can say, ‘Hey, this is what I've done; I really hope that I can encourage you to do the same.'”
You did Mandy and you do.
Mandy said that what kept her trying was that she could see being able to sing again in her future. Her story is a stirring testament not only to the power of positivity, but to the power of visualization, the practice of conjuring up a detailed, vivid image of the outcome we want to achieve. As a visual thinker, it's a process I threw myself into as
I worked on reigniting my creativity, and it was so inspiring and energizing that I will introduce it to you as the next step in lifescaling. Even those of you who think you're just not the visualization type will find it intensely motivating. Let me show you.
Notes
1https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/02/03/you-can/
2https://www.thesecret.tv/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/The-Science-of-Getting-Rich.pdf
3https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200306/our-brains-negative-bias
4https://www.tlnt.com/why-were-so-afraid-of-feedback/
5https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgRlrBl-7Yg
6 https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/positive-mindset/
7http://mindsetonline.com/
8http://www.feedback.tips/the-right-feedback-mindset-of-managers-leaders
9https://www.fastcompany.com/3045424/what-it-takes-to-change-your-brains-patterns-after-age-25
10http://runwonder.com/life/science-explains-what-happens.html
11https://www.fastcompany.com/3045424/what-it-takes-to-change-your-brains-patterns-after-age-25
12ibid
13https://jamesclear.com/feynman-mental-models
14https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/morning-brain-exercises/
15http://mj-ryan.com/blog/attitudes-of-gratitude-how-to-give-and-receive-joy-every-day-of-your-life/
16http://www.thelawofattraction.com/what-is-the-law-of-attraction/
17https://lifehacker.com/luck-is-what-happens-when-preparation-meets-opportunit-821189862
18http://richardwiseman.com/resources/The_Luck_Factor.pdf
19https://mandyharveymusic.com
20https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/08/arts/television/americas-got-talent-mandy-harvey-deaf-singer.html
21 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRpbYKEDhOo
22https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRpbYKEDhOo
23 https://www.bbc.com/news/disability-41850498
Chapter 13
Visualize
Don't Stop Believing; Visualize That Feeling
“Learn to see, and then you'll know that there is no end to the new worlds of our vision.”
–The Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda
Visioning is the process of generating images of desired outcomes. The idea is to make the images so vivid that they act as intensely compelling motivators, inspiring belief in our ability to perform to the high level we've envisioned.1 The practice of mental visioning is common in sports training, with athletes encouraged to create a movie in their heads of performing well. You visualize what success looks and feels like, as if you're an actor stepping into the role of the life you desire. Once you see vividly in your mind's eye the goal you're aiming for, and the process of achieving it, you can't unsee it. Visioning is turning positive thinking into a story of success.
There's no limit to the creativity of our imaginations, and there's no reason to limit the ways in which you exercise your imagination.
There are many established methods of visioning. I'm going to focus here on the ones I found most engaging and helpful. I hope you will try them, but you should also explore other sources if you're intrigued. As Carlos Castaneda says, there's no limit to the creativity of our imaginations, and there's no reason to limit the ways in which you exercise your imagination.
I do want to make one cautionary observation about the way visioning is sometimes characterized. The power comes not from envisioning just a positive outcome and, having done so, expecting that it will manifest itself. The power comes from also envisioning the process of achieving the outcome and motivating us to keep working toward the goal. A good visioning practice includes creating an action plan. The detailed vision of what you want to achieve and how you will do so leads to invaluable realizations about what the journey will require. It helps you anticipate challenges you'll encounter and prepare for them. It also allows you to play out various scenarios and select from them the path you're going to follow.
I first learned about the remarkable power of envisioning how a journey will unfold through working on my book X: The Experience Meets Design. I hired former Pixar artist Nick Sung to help me learn the Disney/Pixar storyboarding process. I wanted to investigate how storyboarding could be used to help companies understand their customers' needs, desires, and life experiences better and serve them more thoughtfully. Ultimately, I used the Disney/Pixar methods to create a visual story of an ideal day in the life of customers. Companies I've taught the process to have found it incredibly helpful in discovering ways to innovate and offer new products and services and more delightful experiences.
I found the process so inspiring that I decided to reboot the entire X project, drawing on the lessons I'd learned in visual communication to make the book a novel kind of reading experience that emulated a mobile device on paper, much more visually alive and immersive than my prior books.
The process taught me so much about how visualizing a story allows you to anticipate all sorts of twists and turns events might take, and discover ways you can shape a story to make it more captivating. It also gives you a preview of what those experiencing the story will be going through, highs and lows, and how they can best prepare for inevitable setbacks, as well as helping to believe in the desired outcome.
I can't help but mention that storyboarding contributed greatly to the success of my hero Walt Disney. He invented the practice in the 1920s, when he developed the Mickey Mouse shorts Plane Crazy and Steamboat Willie. He turned it into a true art form for crafting Snow White,2 and the practice quickly became essential in the planning of all forms of movies.
I mention storyboarding because it exemplifies putting visualization in action; it is about all the steps of the journey—for an animated film, literally moment to moment—and learning how believable and thrilling that story can be.
I now engage in a process of visualization for almost every project I take on.
In one way, shape, or form, I now engage in a process of visualization for almost every project I take on. I begin with a vision of the desired outcome and then develop a roadmap that outlines how to get there. If you're interested in doing that and think you'd like to give it a try, I encourage you wholeheartedly. Don't worry if you think you don't have the artistic talent needed for it. As Eric Goldberg,3 Supervising Animator for the Genie character in Disney's Aladdin, says, “A great storyboard artist isn't necessarily Michelangelo.”
Even very rough sketches are just fine for the purposes of lifescaling. To see how effective even the simplest stick figure drawings can be for working out ideas, you could check out Dan Roams' book The Back of the Napkin and online tutorials on his website Napkin Academy. To learn the storyboarding process, you can find a wealth of tutorials online.
First step is to write a description of the future state you want to achieve with a particular project or life goal.
I want to introduce here instead the process for visualization that has become my go-to method. The first step is to write a description of the future state you want to achieve with a particular project or life goal. To do that, assemble your work from the values and purpose exercises for inspiration. Now, choose a goal to envision. One I did this for was to come up with the concept for my next book, which had become such a struggle. The articulation of the concept and a visualization for it are now sitting on the easel next to my desk.
© Pimpak
Now, write a vivid description of the outcome you want to achieve. This can be as short or long as necessary to articulate your vision with enough detail. A good gauge of it being detailed enough is that someone who knew nothing about your aims for this endeavor would be able to envision the outcome themselves by reading it. To clarify, I'll share the example that drew me into this practice. I learned about it in a funny way—because of my love of bacon. Yes, bacon.
For my birthday, a friend who knew me very well signed me up for a year of Bacon Club, a gift that just kept on giving throughout the year. Each month, I'd receive a different selecti
on of gourmet bacon and each month, I grew more curious about the company sending it. The packaging was clever, and the bacon “All-Stars” refrigerator magnet and the Pocket Book of Bacon that came with the membership were brilliantly illustrated, creative, and actually informative.
I decided to learn about the company, Zingerman's.4 It's a family of small food-related companies and entrepreneurial ventures located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After clicking around the site, and ordering more goodies from several of their companies, I learned that one of the ventures, ZingTrain, is a consultancy that helps teach entrepreneurs and executives “Zingerman's model.”5 I further learned that the company employs almost 700 and generates over $55 million annually.
ZingTrain offers public and private seminars on a range of business-related topics, ranging from customer service and leadership to marketing and HR. After reading more, I stumbled across this line:
The “Zingerman's model” begins with our belief in the power of Visioning.
How unexpected. I needed to know more, and digging a little further into the site, I found a wonderful description of the Zingerman visioning process, offered by Ari Weinzweig, co-founding partner of the company. He describes how visioning has been a core driver of the company's success and describes the features of a good vision description this way:6
A vision is a picture of the success of a project at a particular time in the future.
A vision is a picture of the success of a project at a particular time in the future. A vision is not a mission statement. We see those as being akin to the North Star, a never-ending piece of work that we commit to going after for life. It also isn't a strategic plan—which is the map to where we want to go. A vision is the actual destination. It's a vivid description of what “success” looks and feels like for us—what we are able to achieve, and the effect it has on our staff. We start our planning work with a draft of a positive vision of the future.