America Overrules Idol Judges

So much for throwing the competition. If that was David Cooks goal, America strongly voiced their opinion by making him an overwhelming (12 million votes) winner of season 7's American Idol.

It will be interesting to hear his first album, and track his success vs. David Archuletta, and the previous Idol winners. Will David be able to put his own imprint on the tracks, or will it be another over-produced, milquetoast debut for the Idol winner?

David Cook Throws Idol?

The first part of the American Idol Finale last night was shocking. After wowing the judges and the rest of America the last 3 months, David Cook was - Mediocre.

He wasn't bad, but he wasn't himself. Meanwhile, David Archuletta was on top of his game, performing 'molten hot', as Randy Jackson would say.

I believe David Cook was throwing the competition. He was clearly not living up to his prior performances, was deferent to David A. in body language throughout the show, and made horrible song choices for the two he had some control over.

And why not? Some of the biggest winners of Idol have lost. Aiken & Daughtry most significantly. With David Cook often compared to rocker Chris Daughtry, many thought he would win because Daughtry did not. But Cook knows with victory comes responsibility. He's beholden to Idol, and their often poorly produced first albums. Haven't heard much from Jordin Sparks or Mr. Soul Patrol, have we? And if Ruben Studdard didn't perform on Idol, where else would he sing?

Cook's best chance is to go it alone, and keep greater creative control. At 26, he's far readier to go be an instant success than David A., who will greatly benefit from the guidance of the Idol Machine.

David Cook knows he's the American Idol. But he's willing to sacrifice the title for a tremendous career. By throwing the title, his New Foot Smell will be an amazing first album, and a sold out concert tour.

Could you do the same?

Logic v. Intuition

I have been, for 39 years and 11 months, a cynic. I have pooh-poohed positive affirmations. I have said 'yeah right' to any idea that seemed Pollyanna, Get Rich Quick, or remotely Positive Mental Attitude related.

Mind you, I haven't doen this INTENTIONALLY. I have, in fact, a huge library of books by Napoleon Hills, Norman Vincent Peale, Anthony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Zig Ziglar, Stephen Covey, Jack Canfield, and dozens of other authors.

And YES, I've read them. But in the back of my mind, I've always said "yeah - right - whatever", even as I tell others that these are effective strategies. I know intuitively that these are right, but my MIND battles the heart. I've been taught this is the right way. Logic over Intuition. Spock over Kirk. Even though I KNOW and have empirical evidence that if I just BELIEVE, these strategies will work. This is why I can teach them with such conviction.

My internal critic, as Julia Cameron tells me, is a naysayer. The one who tells me its not possible for ME. It is for everyone else, but not ME.

And there are always plenty of Naysayers in my life, from family to friends to ex-employers to those folks that give books one-star reviews on Amazon (see the earlier post).

I am committed to Killing my Naysayer (just the internal one - not those people around me, whom I will simply learn to manage better).

What part of you do you need to 'kill' to get it out of your way? Can you release your internal Capt. Kirk (who always beats Spock at Three Dimensional Chess with intuition over logic)? Finding your New Foot Smell depends on it!