Your X Factor Moment

On my first article to Sail eMagazine, I chose to write about a personal life-changing experience that I rarely shared with anyone. It was about the moment I suddenly transformed from a shy timid girl into a confident and brave one. Specifically, when I truly found my best talent -or “x factor”- and had the courage to show that to others.

The description of a great moment differs from one person to another, but people would rarely argue that an overwhelmingly wonderful moment is that in which you’re doing what you love and believe in, which makes you feel confident, focused, energetic, happy, and blinded of all distractions. It is that second when you feel your spirit lifted up, your weight suddenly lightened; that magical little while that makes you believe you’re not only strong, but also invincible.

This moment of sudden development and transformation has not only been a fascination of mine alone; as several experts have already generously tapped on it, each giving it a different term. Namely, The “Educationalist” Sir Ken Robinson calls it “The Element”, the life coach Tony Robbins calls it “The Ultimate Edge”, and author Malcolm Gladwell famously describes it as “The Tipping Point”. In this article, however, I give it a name of my own; “The X Factor Moment”.

Conveniently enough, the best way to describe my X Factor Moment term, and explain how to reach it, is through diving into some aspects of the top-notch music competition series “The X Factor”.

While many watch such TV shows for mere entertainment – which is completely fine–, they may overlook the inspirational part of it, which could be a huge boost for anyone’s morale.

Amongst shows like The X Factor, American Idol, Project Runway, or even Top American Model, the common obvious objective is to find the best performer of their “talent”. By the same token, in the process of reaching the end result, the stories of struggle, determination, love, and morality are also presented.

As I pondered on the stories I watched, the performances I enjoyed, and the end results I had anticipated, I came to a philosophical conclusion. That is, a good life is a story broken down into 3 chapters: Inspiration, Audition, and Value; the middle chapter being the most significant as it includes our “X Factor Moment”.

Many of us begin our lives with struggle or support, both of which inspire us to become stronger and survive in this world. It is also in the Inspiration chapter where we find our talents and know our strengths.

When all that is set, we are then meant to show – or audition – our talents to the world, knowing we have a purpose and realizing that having a talent is as much a responsibility as it is a gift. We keep auditioning until we reach our X Factor Moment, the one that exhibits the best of who we are and what we do, after which we dedicate ourselves to adding value to the world around us through re-living that moment every day of our lives.

The secret is to live through these chapters of your life masterfully and this includes being able to reach your X Factor Moment and live it continuously. This is achieved by having a positive attitude towards your talent.

While Philip Philips of American Idol and Anya of Project Runway are great examples of positive attitudes towards talent, I will also choose to share a few more from the X Factor show auditions.

Several contestants were modest -or ignorant- about how great their talent was but their attitude was to audition regardless of that thought, and then their transformation to their great talented selves shook the X Factor theatre; as Cher Lloyd, Jazzlyn Little, Christopher Maloney, and Amelia Lily did. Another example of a positive attitude is continuing to be genuine and modest regardless of how far your talent has taken you. This can be seen in Leona Lewis and James Arthur, both remain down to earth while their eyes focused on adding value through their talents.

Moreover, being confident is essential and I could not see this worn better than on the 13-year-old Carly Rose Sonenclare who rocked the stage and blew our minds with her performance. Finally, you need to realize that your talent can also be a way to vent out the strong emotions you have as a result of struggle or overwhelming experiences. So be strong and brave enough to express those emotions and share your message with others just as Jillian Jenson had done in her heartfelt audition.

It is important to know that your X Factor Moment does not necessarily show the person you are normally perceived to be; because that moment calls your best self into action to an extent that others would think you were suddenly “possessed”. This is seen in many auditions where you hear the judges say things like “What happened?” or “That’s not really you”.

In the end, a positive attitude towards your talent mainly means having belief in your talent, focusing on your ultimate goal, and remaining modest and gracious as you grow more successful.

So: Get inspired. Audition. Add value.

May your life be a long X Factor Moment from which you remain focused, gracious, and unwavering.