Sunday 21st March 11:20

"Electricity In Your Soul"

Hi everyone,

One of my favourite films of all time is "Billy Elliot", the heart-warming story of a boy from a working-class area of England who overcomes the prejudice of his family to become a ballet star.

There are a number of reasons why I love this film.

First off, it's the antithesis of all those corny, cheesy films which, while OK for certain occasions, rarely for me open up any insights into how I live my life.

The second reason is that this is a life-affirming film in the same mould as "The Karate Kid" and "Going My Way". I love to see on film what I believe as a trainer: that when people - especially young people in environments of no hope - are guided by someone who believes in them to discover their inner spirit, they can overcome any obstacle and achieve the most amazing things.

And thirdly, "Billy Elliot" is set not far from where I live. It rings true. I believe it is the story that any one of a million youngsters could be living.

If you haven't had the chance yet to see this film, or the stage musical that has followed it, you're missing a treat. Go out and see it and add it to your personal set of inspirational films.

Anyhow, there is so much in the film that will make you laugh and cry, get angry and swell your heart that it is difficult to pick out the best moment. But there is one scene which for me stands out above the rest.

It's when 12-year-old Billy is auditioning for a place at the Royal Ballet School in London.

His chances look pretty slim. He has behaved erratically in his audition, struggled to understand any of the questions put to him, and, to top it all, vented his frustration in the only way he knows, by striking a fellow candidate.

But just as he is about to leave, one of the panellists comes off script and asks, "Billy, what does it feel like when you're dancing?"

Billy pauses for a moment and then says, "Dunno. It sort of feels good... It's sort of safe and that... But once I get going, I sort of forget everything. I sort of disappear. I can feel a change in my whole body. I'm just there... I have this fire in my whole body. I'm flying...like a bird. Like electricity... Yeah, like electricity."

Billy, of course, wins his place at the Royal Ballet School and goes on to become a star performer.

You can achieve the same success if you discover, nurture, and develop the electricity in your own soul.

For, at the end of the day, it's not your educational attainments that count, not your experience, your qualifications, where you come from or who you know.

It's the electricity in your soul.

Happy dancing and happy training!

Eric

© Eric Garner and ManageTrainLearn 2008