X Factor Contestant Told He ‘Wouldn’t Look Good on Stage Anywhere’ - Audition Videos

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Whoever came up with that old saying must not have had anything negative said to or about them. Words do hurt and harm. One aspiring singer used the cruel words said to him as fuel for his musical ambition.

One young man, Daniel, has dreams of a singing career and of being on the stage entertaining audiences. So Daniel decided to try out and give it a go on the X Factor. However, prior to his audition in front of the judges, Daniel talked about an upsetting incident from his past. 

“When I was about 7, someone said, because I suffer from cerebral palsy, someone said I would not look good on TV, on stage anywhere,” Daniel said. “That was like a school play. And I auditioned for the main part because I loved the attention. And they said, ‘With your problem, it won’t look right.”’

Instead of shying away from the spotlight and taking those ugly words to heart, Daniel did something else entirely. He used it as motivation.

“And that kind of just spurred me on a bit,” Daniel said.

Looking to prove the critics wrong, Daniel went before the judges and won them over! He managed to get all three judges to agree to put him through to the next round!

Daniel wowed them with a beautiful rendition of Josh Groban’s megahit “You Raise Me Up.” 

People can be unnecessarily cruel and mean. Words certainly do harm, but we can rise above them. Daniel is a terrific example of getting past our hurt and persevering in order to achieve something great! 

James 1:12 “There is a blessing on the man who undergoes testing; because, if he has God’s approval, he will be given the crown of life, which the Lord has said he will give to those who have love for him.”