“If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I’ll bet they’d live a lot differently.” - Bill Watterson After a long day of recording in the fast paced world of Los Angeles, all the while the foot hills of the San Gabriel mountains were ablaze and smoke billowing - David Archuleta tweeted:

It’s amazing to see the ocean and the stars in one glance. Beautiful!

The skies that night were remarkably clear despite what was going on so close by. I had to go outside and check with my own eyes - indeed I could see the stars twinkle as the sky was so clear. All day long I was lamenting over breathing in the smokey air. When night came, it did not even cross my mind to look up to marvel at the stars in the sky.

Stars and ocean…since humans first walked this earth they have been drawn to two things. The constant rhythm and beauty of the ocean and the glittering stars overhead. We watch in rapt silence as the waves dance in and out …if we are lucky we spot a falling star to make a wish upon.

There is a beautiful song that we can think of as we look to the same heaven that David sees. No matter where we are we can wish on the same bright stars and realize that we are all connected to each other and this beautiful planet. So as we face the stresses and worries of our daily lives, we can also go outside and look up….and marvel,dream and say a thankful prayer.

Somewhere Out There
written by James Horner, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil

Somewhere out there beneath the pale moonlight
Someone’s thinking of me and loving me tonight
Somewhere out there someone’s saying a prayer
That we’ll find one another in that big somewhere out there
And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky
Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we’ll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true
And even though I know how very far apart we are
It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star
And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby
It helps to think we’re sleeping underneath the same big sky
Somewhere out there if love can see us through
Then we’ll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true“love builds up the broken wall

and straightens the crooked path.
love keeps the stars in the firmament
and imposes rhythm on the ocean tides
each of us is created of it
and i suspect
each of us was created for it”
Maya AngelouOur ideals resemble the stars, which illuminate the night. No one will ever be able to touch them. But the men who, like the sailors on the ocean, take them for guides, will undoubtedly reach their goal. Carl Schurz

Here is wishing that our special shooting star reaches out and obtains his goal - undoubtedly he will!

(source)

Providence, RI August 22, 2009

As we go through our busy days, it can be very easy to focus only on ourselves and the things that we have to do.  We may not stop to give much thought to what is going on with those around us.  It might seem that a busy performer like David Archuleta, who has a schedule filled with touring, recording, travel, and many other things, would have even more reasons than most of us to concentrate on only his own feelings and activities.  A couple of recent occurences, though, seem to show us that this is not the way that he approaches things.

On August 17, David had a solo concert in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  On the day of a performance, David has many things to keep him busy, usually including sound checks and meet and greets in addition to other preparations.  Besides this, on this occasion, he was just getting over a stretch of time in which he’d struggled with losing his voice and suffering from allergies, making it very difficult for him to do what he loves to do — sing for his audiences.  All of these things would seem to, on their own, be enough to take up all of David’s attention.  Yet, some time before the show was scheduled to begin, David posted the following update on Twitter:  “It’s rainin’ big time!! And there are people waiting outside! Ah! We’re going to try and get them sheltered! lol.”  Rather than thinking only of himself, David was concerned about the fact that the fans gathered outside to await the concert were caught in a heavy rain, and he wanted to try to help them out of that situation. His online message was short, but it provides us with a nice example of the consideration that David has for others, and it is certainly not the only instance that shows us David’s lack of self-centeredness.

A week earlier, on August 10, David was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for another solo performance. He had been having trouble with his voice for at least a few days, and on that Monday, he was supposed to completely rest his voice before the show in an attempt to save whatever voice he did have left for the concert that night. This meant that David would not be able to sing for or talk with the fans assembled for that afternoon’s VIP pre-show gathering at all, as he usually would. So, after David had signed autographs and posed for pictures, he and the fans waved goodbye to each other. Under the circumstances, it might seem that someone in David’s situation would have been preoccupied with concerns about his voice, wondering how he was going to make it through an hour and a quarter of singing later that evening, and glad to move on from the meet and greet to get some rest or try to get ready for the show. As David walked out of the room, however, he looked reluctant to leave. Minutes later, to the surprise of the group of fans, David returned. He said that he wanted to at least sing a verse of something for the group and proceeded to share a lovely portion of a spiritual song that was, I believe, new to at least most of his listeners. Then, he smiled and left the room again, apparently much more content with what had taken place. Despite all that must have been on his mind, it seems that David wanted to give something more to the fans that had come to see him, even though by doing so he might risk making things still more difficult for himself later by putting extra strain on his overworked voice. I was one of the people present at the pre-show event that day, and I really appreciated what David chose to do for us. It was disappointing that we did not have the chance to see and hear David, the amazing singer and musician, accompany himself on the keyboard while performing a couple of songs for us or David, the charming, fun, and amusing guy, chatting with and answering questions from the crowd. We did, however, still get to see, hear (just a little bit) and experience David, the caring, dedicated, unselfish, responsible young man of integrity, and that’s a pretty wonderful thing to witness in itself.

There is a (likely unfair) stereotype that labels celebrities as self-absorbed people who don’t really care about others. From all that we have seen, this description certainly does not fit David Archuleta, whose concern for other people is just one of his admirable qualities. Hopefully, we can all make an effort to look beyond ourselves and try to pay more attention to the needs and feelings of the people with whom we come in contact.

(source)

In an interview recently David Archuleta spoke about song writing and made this surprising comment: “But I feel like I have writer’s block 24/7, with little openings. We’ve all got our weaknesses, and that’s mine.”

There are days when even David Archuleta is feeling like he is in over his head. He has confided to his fans in a very open way that he doesn’t find it easy to write songs. That doesn’t mean he isn’t creative enough, because we all can testify, he is already an accomplished songwriter.
What other fourteen year old can write a song with such depth and poetry as “Falling”? But like the beautiful ending phrase in that song,even though overwhelmed, he doesn’t get stuck in the negative…but keeps “pushing through to the end.”

Song writing comes easier to David then to most of humanity, but it still takes a lot of hard work…some false starts and some dead ends. But the elation he must feel when it works,when it begins to flow. He seems to enjoy the process that in the beginning intimidated him. He has opened himself up to collaborating with other song writers and has co-created some incredible songs. I think a good portion of his fan base, have been drawn the most, to songs he co-wrote. Those “little openings” he speaks of will widen more and more all the time.

David has been in some writing sessions for his upcoming albums and we all eagerly wait to hear what he wants to say. This past year that included travel to the United Kingdom, Asia and a large portion of the US must have inspired him. With every passing year, as David’s world grows, so will his song writing skills. From David’s June 16th blog to us: “I was also working on some material for the next pop album as well. It’s gonna be crazy working on all the stuff this Summer along with the tour, but I’m sooo excited you guys! Oh, how I love music lol. Anyway, I’m looking forward to seeing what will become of everything, because I’m really not sure how it’s going to end up. It’s the kind of thing that you don’t know what’s going to happen until it happens. I really want to work with more people on writing though and get that part of my brain exercised and movin’.

From that quote it sounds like David is eager to create songs that have meaning for him and for all of us. I cannot think of anything better than the prospect of new songs written by David Archuleta. Listening to a new song written by David for the very first time, I know we will be captivated by every note and word he carefully crafted. We thank you David for your courage and perseverance to work at something that does not come easy.

Perhaps it is time to reflect on our own “little openings” and push ourselves a bit more. Maybe we can learn that second language or how to play an instrument. If we try a little harder maybe we can develop that idea that drifts into our head from time to time. Lets see if we can be better at something that scares us a little.

(source)

“Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough”. ~Author Unknown

In the “A Day on Tour” video, posted recently on David Archuleta’s official website, David answers questions about life on the road. One of my favorite moments comes when he is talking about getting ready for the 40 stop tour.

“I’m not gonna bring 40 shirts…that’s insane!” he exclaims. He then goes on to say he will just repeat what he wears. Not exactly the typical response from a young superstar in the making. So why not 40 shirts and multiple trunks full of clothes David? Because David is a low maintenance, no frills kind of guy.

Maya Angelou has been quoted as saying: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

She could have been describing a typical Meet and Greet encounter with David Archuleta. Many of us feel the experience of being up close and personal with David very vividly. But we may ask ourselves later, “What was he wearing..I can’t even remember”. I know..because I said that myself.

David is not an extravagant person and he has made comments and tweets about being surprised by the cost of things. One that comes to my mind was his dismay at the price of a hotel breakfast in the United Kingdom.

After his electrifying 7/17 performance at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, with an audience of other young stars and Industry insiders, he and his friends that included Brooke White and Jason Castro, ate at the Original House of Pancakes. Not exactly a trendy expensive L.A. hot spot! But he loved the company and he loved the crepes!

Traveling light and enjoying simple pleasures suit David Archuleta. He doesn’t need to re-invent himself at every venue or adopt some false version of himself to make an impact on the audience. On the contrary, David dresses like us. He proudly wears his Target t-shirts, many given to him by fans. When he walks into a Meet and Greet room or welcomes you as you enter the photo op area, you are dazzled by David. Not by what he is wearing but by his ready smile, unfailing kindness, funny random comments, expressive gestures and spontaneous little bits of songs he sings. All of these actions by David are telling us: “I am approachable…don’t be afraid.” He doesn’t adopt an “I’m way too cool for you” attitude to feel superior to his fans. He is simply-David traveling light on his journey.

We his family, friends and fans see him as a beautiful… traveling light. A positive bright spirit that makes us remember for all of our days…how we felt in his presence.

(source)

It’s awful to wake up feeling overwhelmed by the amount of things to do before the day ends. It might be work related tasks, personal issues, or a combination of both. Parents who are taking care of young children often have an even busier life, wondering how they will get everything done before their head hits the pillow at night. The result is usually burnout and shutdown…and who wants to live like that? The joy of life is almost all but lost, and our very existence has been somehow reduced to our success, or failure, at completing a list of tasks. Life is too precious to be squandered this way, and so if we hope to make the most of our time here on this planet, a paradigm shift must be made.

David Archuleta mentioned in yesterday’s blog post what I believe is the new outlook needed to neutralize the hectic pace of life…SIMPLICITY! Here is an excerpt:

My mom thought I was kidding when I said I wanted them all to come hang out with my friends lol. But I think it’s great having my favorite little bunch of people (my family) come together with another group of people whom I enjoy being around. I want my friends to know how cool my family is, or at least how cool I think my family is lol. Everyone had a good time too. But yeah, it was fun just spending time with everyone. It’s something that’s so simple, yet so valuable to me. David’s blog 7/21/09.

It’s one thing to mention that we value the simple life, but it’s another to actually achieve it. Do we simply cut down our task list so that it has fewer items? No, David also provides the answer and it has to do with priorities. For David his priority is his family and when he focuses on that, all the other tasks of his busy schedule seem less important…because in perspective they are less important. When we prioritize and devote our time and heart to the important people in our life all the other, somewhat burdensome, tasks naturally take their appropriate place on the back burner. Prioritizing and putting people first, especially our family, is the only way to really live. David seems to get that salient truth quite clearly and he also knows that it produces within our souls the very thing we all long for…a simpler more meaningful life.

(source)