Picture courtesy our friends at Archuleta Fanscene

Sometimes sacrifices need to be made in order to pursue the things that mean the most to us. Making these sacrifices requires a lot of hard work, love, dedication, faith and courage.

One-half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it. ~Sidney Howard~

David Archuleta has made many sacrifices in order to pursue his musical career. Music is what he truly loves. It is what he wants to do. David is so driven by it, that he has had to sacrifice many special things in his life in order to make room for his music. Things such as High school prom and graduation, time spent hanging out with friends and most importantly, seeing his family on a regular basis. These are all very important moments in any ones life. But David Archuleta has had to leave some of it behind, so he can perform.

David has had to miss many holidays with his family. He has been away for special events like Thanksgiving, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. He has had to miss family get-togethers with his large extended family, because he was on tour and couldn’t get home. Yet as hard as it all may be, David knows he has to be okay with these sacrifices because he is doing something that he loves so much, something that he wants so much. He is also aware that he is sharing his gift of music with others and he believes that he has been called by God to do it. David seems to understand that he has been given this special gift and he wants to use it wisely. In the liner notes of his debut self titled album, David writes; “There have been good times and hard times, but I think it’s all given to you to take you where you need to go in life. I have been so blessed to have been given this experience, and there is no doubt in my mind that the credit goes to God. So I’d like to thank Him first for trusting me with what He has given me, and for His many blessings. I hope to continue using the gift He has given me the way He wants me to, and I know that way will benefit you and those around you as well.”

He then goes on to say; “Next, I’d like to thank my family for being so supportive and incredibly understanding.” David realizes the sacrifices that those closest to him have had to make as well, so he can pursue his music career. His family has had to be separated for long periods of time. While his father Jeff was with him through American Idol and on the road for concerts dates, his mother Lupe was with the other kids, holding down the fort back home in Utah. She was busy getting David’s brother and sisters through their daily comings and goings, as they adjusted to life without their Dad and David around. Again, sacrifices made that are all very hard on a family I am sure, but done out of love nonetheless, love for their son/brother so he could create the music he is so passionate about.

Since David left American Idol, he has been on the road more than he has been home. He travels from city to city all across the United States, on a tour bus. He has flown for many hours to other countries, staying in different hotels night after night and living out of a suitcase. As he tries to recover from the jet lag, he does interview after interview, meet and greets, and then he goes on to perform an incredible show, singing at times for almost an hour. Days off from performing may be spent doing some promoting or recording. He is a very busy young man with a lot on his plate. But he always seems so positive and upbeat about it. I have heard him say many times in interviews, that it is all worth it because he is doing what he truly enjoys. He is willing to sacrifice the comforts of home and family to travel and sing. He is willing to give certain things up, so he can do what is so important to him as he reaches reach out and shares his talent with others.

Unfortunately, it does seem that with the price of fame also comes the loss of some personal freedoms. David is no longer able to walk around freely among the general population without being recognized at times, which I am sure can make it hard for him to enjoy a ‘normal’ day with his family or peers. Even attending church services can be difficult for him. Now when he goes out in public, many people know who he is and they want to get close to him. He can’t go out as easily as before, so he makes concessions. What was once so simple, now must be carefully planned. But when David is greeted by his fans, he is always patient, polite and very cordial.

As I’ve pointed out, many special events have been spent away from those that mean the most to David, due to obligations that need to be met and engagements that can’t be missed. But again, David seems to understand what he has to do, and he does it so graciously. I have never read or heard about David complaining because of the sacrifices he has made. On the contrary, he seems delighted to be singing and making music. And while he is making his music, he is capturing hearts and touching souls all along the way. It is as though he is on a mission. But I believe David knows that the sacrifices he is making are important, they must be made. And I am sure it must be very gratifying for him to see how much his music touches others.

Yes the sacrifices have been made, but the rewards have been great. David has been able to help a lot of people through his music. He has healed some hearts and he has spread a lot of joy. He has become a role model for so many, and he sets such a wonderful example for not only today’s youth, but any one that has had the pleasure of experiencing him and his talents. David has also been able to support many causes and charities with his new found fame. He has done a tremendous amount of good, helping people all over the world. Something he might not have been able to do as easily, had he not pursued his musical career and made so many sacrifices.

I believe that David understands what he must give up, but in doing so he is gaining so much more. While he is doing what he loves, he is giving so much back. Whether it is to those who admire him and love his music, or those who are less fortunate. David’s sacrifices have not gone unnoticed. As a fan of David’s, I think I speak for many when I say; Thank you David, for making these sacrifices so you can make your music and share it with us. You have made a wonderful difference in so many lives. We admire you and appreciate you so much, and we love your music. You have not made these sacrifices in vain. You have our support and we are so grateful to you!

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In order to have respect for others, you must first learn to respect yourself, as the saying goes. David Archuleta is someone who truly respects himself. He has very strong values and morals. He takes care of himself and he does his best to live his life in the right ways spiritually, honestly and appropriately. In turn, he is able to show respect for others. In my opinion, he does a tremendous job of it.

One recent example of the respect that David has shown another, was when he was on a tour stop in Arkansas on July 2, 2009. He did not sing “Apologize” at this show, a song that many fans love hearing him sing. Instead, he replaced it with his “One Medley.” Though we all love his “One Medley”, some wondered why he was singing that instead of “Apologize.” When questioned about it on Twitter, David’s reply was that he knew Kris Allen, the Season 8 American Idol winner, had sung it on AI. So out of respect for him, since Kris is from Arkansas and David felt he was on Kris’s turf, he sang the “One Medley” instead! When I first learned about this, honestly I was not surprised. It all made sense. David being the kind and thoughtful young man that he is, did not want to step on Kris Allen’s toes. He did not want to upstage “Arkansas’ Own Hometown Hero.” David made a conscious effort to sing a different song and he still gave the fans a wonderful performance at the same time. He is really careful to be respectful of others. I find it so refreshing in a young man of his age.

Here is the Twitter response David sent a fan, who questioned him about that song change. It shows that David is very mindful of others as well as respectful, and he tries not to offend anyone.

@likewhoaxox from DavidArchie. I didn’t because Kris Allen sang it on AI, and I’m sure the crowd knew his version well haha. So just wanted to respect him. July 2, 2009 from web, in reply to likewhoaxox.

David has a history of showing respectful behavior towards others. Last Summer when he was being interviewed by a reporter during the AI tour, David was asked about playing tricks on his fellow AI cast members. He replied that yes, they did have fun on tour playing pranks but that he would never do anything to the girls, because he said, “I am all about respecting the girls!” Wow I remember thinking to myself, he has good old fashioned values and he respects the ladies. So nice to see in this day and age, when so many young men and women today, do not show respect for each other. However, David Archuleta shows through his examples that he respects all people, both women and men alike.

During American Idols season 7, David always had the kindest things to say about all his fellow contestants. He had admiration and respect for all of them. And when it came down to the final two and he and David Cook were the only ones left, David made the nicest comments about his competition. In fact, he didn’t even view it as a competition at all. He was just so happy to be standing next to someone who he thought was so talented. How many people in this same situation would have only been concerned with winning? How many would have honestly and humbly viewed their competition is such a positive light? I can only think of one, David Archuleta!

I am also reminded of the time during American Idol Season 7, when David Archuleta was asked by host Ryan Seacrest, to pick the side that was going to be staying on in the competition. David had just been told by Ryan that he had made it through to the next round, and now he should go and stand next to the group that he thought would also be moving ahead in the competition with him. David just stood there looking rather confused, on either side of him were the other contestants. All of them were people he had come to know and respect very much. How could he make that decision and choose? David did the only thing that a young man with respect for his friends would do, he sat down right in the middle of the stage. I remember truly admiring him even more that evening. He showed so much integrity in that one moment. Here is the video recap from that episode of American Idol Season7:

I could watch this video over and over again. I am still amazed by the character of this young man and the way that he treats people. Even when he is put in a very uncomfortable situation, David still chooses to do the right thing, he does the respectful thing.

After David Cook won American Idol, the ‘Top 10′ contestants went out on the Summer AI tour. During their concert stop in Utah, David Archuleta made a point to tell his home state of Utah to “please show their love for Cook.” He was so proud to be back home and he wanted Utah to be welcoming to his friend, David Cook. More importantly, he wanted them to show Cook respect. Utah responded in kind, and was very warm and hospitable toward David Cook. I think David Archuleta had a lot to do with that. Once again, David showed that he is always polite and well mannered, traits that make a person respectful.

There is a classic rock and roll song made popular by Aretha Franklin that goes, “R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me…!” It means a lot to David Archuleta and he continues to demonstrate that through his actions. He is one young man that embodies the true meaning of the word, ‘respect’.

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Have you ever seen a person love music..not just enjoy it…or tap their toes to it…or appreciate it on some intellectual level…but LOVE it, the way David does? David Archuleta appears to have melodies and snippets of lyrics swirling in his head pretty much all the time. Sometimes these little musical nuggets pop out of David’s mouth much to every one’s delight. He punctuates conversations with bits and pieces of songs he has heard and never forgotten. It is amazing that he knows so many songs that were popular decades before his birth. And…he knows them in at least two languages. He takes Ben E King’s “Stand By Me” and Selena’s “Como La Flor” and makes them his own. He’s even been told he sings in his sleep!

From an early age it appears that David understood how music can tell human stories in such a deep and profound way. He began to understand the powerful possibilities music has to comfort, to encourage, to teach and to inspire us. We can feel our most vulnerable when we listen to music but we can also feel the most alive. He knows how music can influence our moods, our outlook and our behavior. Through his own experience he is aware that sometimes our deepest felt prayers happen through music.

In 1957 the musical play “The Music Man” opened on Broadway. It was also a popular movie released in 1962. Composer Meredith Wilson wrote a simple but beautiful song for the play entitled “Till There Was You”. I have located a video clip of four very young lads from Liverpool performing this song. Reading the lyrics I couldn’t help but think of David and how his sharing of his special gift of music affects us.

There were bells on the hill
But I never heard them ringing,
No, I never heard them at all
Till there was you.

There were birds in the sky
But I never saw them winging
No, I never saw them at all
Till there was you.

And there was music,
And there were wonderful roses,
They tell me,
In sweet fragrant meadows of dawn, and dew.

There was love all around
But I never heard it singing
No, I never heard it at all
Till there was you!

David Archuleta didn’t invent music, but he awakens our senses and helps us to tap into the beauty and the power of music. Music is David’s gift to treasure and to share. Whatever your gift is, and yes we all have gifts, NOW is the time to share it.

It could just possibly be that “Till There Was You”, there was someone who didn’t know how to read… cook… swim… sew… drive… or love. Be like David Archuleta…..Share the gifts.

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A mirror reflects the exterior part of who we are. We spend time preparing and getting our external appearance just right to “present” ourselves to the world. We style our hair, shave, put on makeup and wear nice clothes. Our external appearance is important to us, and so we make sure that others see us as well groomed and nicely dressed. We spend the time to reflect to the world a part of us that we feel comfortable with. There is nothing wrong with looking presentable, but I wonder how many of us take the same amount of time to groom and prepare what’s inside of us. That way when we do interact with others, we are able to care, love, and touch the lives of those around us. The mirror reflects our outward appearance but our actions reveal what lies within. Character is more than skin deep!

In David Archuleta’s recent blog he discussed how he was touched by watching Michael Jackson’s memorial, and recommended that we listen to the song, “Man in the Mirror”. Here’s an excerpt of his blog:

Song for the day: Man in the Mirror - Michael Jackson
I know this song has been everywhere lately, but thank goodness it is! It is one of the greatest songs, with the most amazing message of starting with the person in the mirror. So take it to heart: If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change! July 8, 2009

David Archuleta is right! We should take to heart the fact that change really does begin with us. The change that David refers to comes from that part of us that is not to be found in a mirror’s reflection. We can pretty up our external appearance and fool many people into thinking that we have it all together, but the real reflection of who we are is so much more. It is evidenced by our willingness to love others. Yes, let’s heed the words of David Archuleta and think about how we can make a change in this world for the better, but remember it begins with looking in the mirror and seeing beyond just our external reflection. It begins with what lies deep within our soul…OUR CHARACTER!

I See the kids in the street with not enough to eat, who am I to be blind pretending not to see their needs…I’m starting with the man in
the mirror I’m asking him to change his ways and no message could have
been any clearer if you wanna make the world a better place take a look at yourself, and then make a change.
“Man in the Mirror”, sung by Michael Jackson, 1988

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By all accounts, David Archuleta is a very positive and appreciative person. We have seen this demonstrated over and over again in the past year and a half or so. Still, I think that some things that David wrote last week in his blog and on Twitter during some difficult circumstances show him really going above and beyond in the positive outlook department.

Last Tuesday, David posted this message on Twitter:

Ugh I feel terrible. No fun being sick. Thankfully we have 2 days off, so hopefully I’ll be ok by the next show lol.

Later that night, in response to some well-wishes, David wrote a couple more things:

Thanks @realbrookewhite! Just been trying to rest and haven’t been on the computer much today since I’m sick. Hope you guys understand! :)

But P.S. Hi to everyone! And thanks for your get better messages!!! You guys are too nice haha :)

Notice that even as David was letting us know that he was sick and felt terrible, he still punctuated his messages with “lol” and smiley faces. (Hopefully they helped him to feel a little bit better as he wrote them!) He also was finding a positive thing to focus on by being thankful that he had two days off, so that he could have a chance to recover by the time he next had to perform. David also made sure to let everyone know that he appreciated the get-well messages that they were sending to him.

The blog that David posted the next day gave us yet more information on how he had been feeling. Here is the relevant paragraph:

So I was planning on doing a video blog for this week, but I haven’t been feeling too well at all for the last couple of days. So I while I was planning on the video blog, I wasn’t planning on getting sick lol. So I’ll just have to figure out when the next time for a video blog will work. I’m already feeling a whole lot better than yesterday though! We had our drive from Oklahoma to Arizona that day. I spent 24 hours on our bus, because even though we finally got to the hotel I was feeling too sick to move lol. But things are well! I’ve been sleeping, resting, sleeping and resting like crazy. Thanks for all of your concerns and thoughts! I’ve really appreciated it. I’m hoping to be in good shape for all of you coming to the Arizona show tomorrow!

While David told us that he hadn’t been “feeling too well at all” for a couple of days, in typical optimistic fashion, he also let us know that he was glad that his condition had improved from the previous day. Improvement was definitely a good thing, because, from this blog excerpt, we learn just how sick David actually had been — he didn’t even feel well enough to get off the bus to go into the hotel! But, he did not dwell on that negative experience, instead laughing and telling us that “things are well!” as he’d been resting and sleeping and hoping to get better soon. Once again, David also expressed his thanks and appreciation for the fact that people had been concerned about him.

I think that most people have a tougher time than usual being upbeat, friendly, and “themselves” when they are sick. It is possible that David may have had some irritable or depressed moments during his illness last week, but, if what he shared with us on Twitter and in his blog is any indication, they did not predominate. His messages are just filled with positivity, appreciation, hope, and the cheerful personality that we have come to know.

The Twitter post that struck me as the most remarkable of all was written by David last Thursday. He said:

Arizona show is tonight! Feel sooo much better! Had a great relaxing couple of days off. What perfect timing for getting sick lol. woot

I could understand David’s enthusiasm for feeling much better after what he’d gone through and also the fact that he could see a silver lining in having been sick during a time that he did not have to do a show, but I was amazed that he could call two days spent resting during a serious bout of illness a “great relaxing couple of days off!” That seems to be a rather extreme case of looking on the bright side, but I think that it just shows us yet again how truly positive David Archuleta’s outlook on life is. This seems to help him to enjoy life and to be a genuinely happy person, and that is a wonderful thing. Perhaps if we try to add just a little more positivity to our lives, at least under normal circumstances, we’ll also gain more happiness. It seems to work for David!

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