A note to Ella, and her X Factor friends

Ella,

So, you were kicked out of The X Factor.

And are probably even now surrounded by people who want to talk to you , promote you , and yes - use you.

My advice is this:

1. Just remember that the overall 'winner' is not necessarily the winner - you have enough talent to forge a fantastic and long lasting career in the business. The real winner is the one who can cope and excel.

2. Stay away from any negative crap (including people). Think you know what I mean - and those people are already causing you to doubt yourself. Don't listen. No one has the right to make you feel bad UNLESS you allow them to.

3.  Your dream is happening now, stay focused on it and stay true to yourself. Be careful of anyone who tries to change who you are (and saying they know best). They don't.

4. Surround yourself with people YOU like and people YOU trust. Everyone needs support - ESPECIALLY when they are under the spotlight. It's a long fall down without it.

5. Keep your feet on the ground - after all , it's 'only' a job (but a great one!). What's really important is having fun, enjoying life and being healthy.


Finally - Well Done Ella. The. World. Is.Your.Oyster.
Take the stage.

....and pass this note on to your friends, they'll need it.


Amana Walker
Straightforward,straight talking coach

www.amanawalker.com

  

If you're in the spotlight (or want to be) - read this....

Social networking sites? Oh dear, they are potentially..... bad news for us.

Facebook, Twitter and the rest are meant to help us stay connected to friends, build new relationships and enhance our lives.

But in some instances.... the opposite is happening.

Ever had a negative comment from a photo you've put up of yourself?

How about when you've read something a friend has written about you ...that touched a 'nerve'?

Does it ever feel like other people's lives are so much better than yours?

What about when you look at pictures of celebrities (and even your friends) and in your eyes - you look a total disaster compared to any of them?

The power of social networking is strong. So your belief in yourself - and all you have going for you - has to be even stronger.
If not, you are in danger of being the biggest bully in the world - TO YOURSELF.


So what can you do about it? - here's a few ideas:

1. Whenever you have a camera pointing at you :

think of something funny that will make you smile naturally.

focus your mind on what makes you feel good. If you think 'oh god I look awful today', or 'I hate having my picture taken' - that's exactly what will show up on camera.

2. Find that you are comparing yourself to others?

remember that everyone has little 'gripes' about themselves - but the ones we hear the most (and loudest) are our own. Tell the negative voice in your head to take a running jump, and bring in a voice that only focuses on what is good about you.

all is not what it seems. Celebrities have 'demons' too - and often they are played out in public which magnifies their issues even more. At least we have a degree of privacy - be grateful for that.

3. Read something hurtful about yourself?

stuff is often said in the heat of the moment - and in hindsight is regretted. So don't allow a hurtful comment to linger in your head. It could drag you down unnecessarily.

laugh it off - (at least someone is thinking about you).

remember you are likely to make the situation worse if you join in and 'hit back'. Is it really worth it?

So stay connected for the right reasons, have fun, and remember that you have a 'voice', so you use it wisely .

You get back what you give out in life.

Everyone has a life behind the image - and no ones' is perfect - so don't be fooled by the image you see.

And - Believe In You.

Look for and focus on your best ingredients, anything else just isn't important.

Trust me.

Amana

Straightforward, straight talking coach.

www.amanawalker.com

 

 

This will SCARE the pants off you......

Walkahead Blog: This will SCARE the pants off you......:   So here, we are - almost Halloween again, and we are dressing up to scare and be scared ... Well I don't want to be t...

This will SCARE the pants off you......

Grim or what?

So here, we are - almost Halloween again, and we are dressing up to scare and be scared...


Well I don't want to be the Grim Reaper (c'mon I don't even look scary!), but you really don't have to wait for Halloween to be scared.

As a straight talking (and ok, brutally honest) coach, have a think about this:

• How long do you think you have left to live your life?
• If you don't have the answer to that .... it could end at anytime, am I right ?
• So if it could end at anytime....would you be happy if that time was right now?
• (..I'm kinda hoping that's a 'NO' by the way)

I can't tell you how many people I have coached, who were going through life without 'living' it.
They were taking everything they had for granted, living life with no real purpose and ABSOLUTELY , DEFINITELY not making the best of who they are.
And that, my friends is like a 'red rag to a bull' for me.

Because all of that usually results in them becoming 'invisible'...
...and..

Not being noticed at work.
Not winning in sports
Not making it as a singer/performer
Not attracting the partner they desperately want.
Not having fun with friends.
Not knowing where they are going in life - just drifting along aimlessly.
Spending time thinking how lucky other people are and how hard a hand they've been dealt in life.

So if you recognise any of this in yourself - don't expect me to feel goddam sorry for you.
Allow me to 'shake you up' (and wake you up) instead!!

There is a pretty cool life out there waiting for those who want it BADLY enough.
If that's you, go on - take it!

- Decide where you want to be
- Decide how good you are going to be
- Decide how you want others to see you
- Decide how you want to feel
- Decide how soon you're gonna start
- Decide not to give up on yourself.
- Decide to MAKE A PLAN.

Because. life. can. be. too. short.
Got the message?

Now, have a Happy Halloween......I dare you.
Amana
Straightforward, straight talking, and today - scary , coach.
www.amanawalker.com
www.walkahead.co.uk

What's your 'leap of faith'?

Felix Baumgartner has just jumped out of a capsule from the edge of space (gulp!!), breaking a few world records in the process.

But to heck with the facts and figures....what about the courage it took to do it?

What about the confidence to see it through when things didn't go exactly to plan?

What about the fear, and feeling of being completely alone up there?

And, hell...what about the sheer excitement of it all - woohooo!!

 
Yet for all the stuff we worry ourselves silly about every day, he says this:

' Sometimes you have to go up really high to realise how small you are'

In comparison to life itself, our problems are small, and most are surmountable.

So, instead of focusing on problems , do as Felix is doing - enjoy life to the max.

Push yourself to reach something new. Dare yourself to be different. Power through any problems you feel you have.

And whilst you are alive - take a giant leap of faith with that one thing you have always wanted to do....but haven't (because of all the excuses you give yourself).

Go on, I dare you.
Amana
Straightforward, straight talking coach.

www.amanawalker.com
www.walkahead.co.uk

Walkahead Blog: The X Factor.... It's not about the voice.

Walkahead Blog: The X Factor.... It's not about the voice.: We've already seen a few examples on this season's X Factor so far, when the strongest voices don't always get moved forward - but last nig...

The X Factor.... It's not about the voice.

We've already seen a few examples on this season's X Factor so far, when the strongest voices don't always get moved forward - but last nights example - the 'vote off' between Rylan and Carolynne was the most public yet.

It seemed that Louis  just couldn't make up his mind who to save between the two.
But that's just baloney. Of course he could.

But want he wanted to do (or was told to do - you choose) , was to create some controversy, bring on some 'shock factor' , get people talking, fire everyone up.
It worked.

There has been tons of talk (real life and twitter) , and , X Factor is hot stuff in the news again - see example below:

 http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/x_factor/4577399/X-Factor-fan-fury-over-vote-rig-order-to-judge-Louis-Walsh.html

So if the producers want to increase their viewer numbers...has it worked, or has it turned people off?.
Time will tell.

For now though, the singers will be in turmoil, and as Rylan skips along for another week (and I do like him), poor Carolynne bore the brunt of it.
Clearly a good singer, gorgeous to look at, and desperate for fame.

She's not the first good one to be spat out of the XFactor machine, nor will she be the last.
And sadly when the fuss has died down, she may well struggle to get any more attention to help her achieve her goal.

As a coach to some of the previous XFactor contestants, I know they get little support when it's all over. Which is when they need it the most.

The programme should be re - titled: The X Factor - It's not about the voice.

Having a good voice, is not, and has never been , good enough.
You need much, much more to win people over.
That's where I come in.


Amana
Straightforward, straight talking coach.