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| Charice at a radio interview in Japan on October 8. |
From escaping-mediocrity.com:
Crabs in a BucketRead the full article on the original site
...Fast forward to this morning. As I was drinking my coffee and perusing my twitter stream, and up pops this gem from @paul0coelho (He wrote The Alchemist, one of my all time favorite books): “Only mediocrity is safe. Get ready to be attacked, and be the best.”
Maybe it was the early hour. Maybe it was my post-event mushy brain. I don’t know. But the minute I read Paul’s tweet, I thought of those crabs in a bucket. So I sent him this tweet: “I’m thinking of crabs in a bucket. They always try to pull down the one who’s figured out how to escape.”
...There will always be people who will subtly or not so subtly try to keep us from escaping. Why? Because our escape threatens their mediocre existence. Pulling us down, sabotaging our efforts, picking apart our brilliant ideas – all of that keeps them feeling safe. And living undisturbed mediocre lives.
So what if we added a new piece to the crab mentality picture? Imagine a crab, or a group of crabs on the other side of the bucket building a ladder to aid your escape. They managed to crawl out of the bucket in spite of all the energetic attempts to pull them backwards. Because they’ve tasted freedom and they know your struggle, they are putting energy into aiding and abetting your escape.
I believe that for those of us determined to get out of the bucket, such a group exists. It may take some time to find them, but they are there, ready throw a safety rope over the edge and pull us out.
Start listening for them. Start looking for them. They are there. Reach just a little further and they’ll meet you at the edge of the bucket.
Below is the comment I made on the original site:
Crab mentality is deeply rooted in Filipino culture and it is one factor why it's been such a struggle for our country to develop at a faster pace. It's found in all social and economic levels and areas.
Take for instance the case of Charice, the Filipino pop singer who was introduced to the world by Oprah Winfrey. Coming from a poor background, she started singing in local competitions for a living when she was 7 years old and even then already experienced being told that she wasn't good enough when in fact she was way better than the rest. As a teen joining a televised national singing competition, she continued to be talked down and pulled down, even told that she didn't have what it takes to be a star simply because her critics thought she wasn't pretty, never mind her incredible singing talent and her ethics for working hard. It took the likes of Ellen de Generes, David Foster, and Oprah Winfrey to help her climb "out of the bucket" and prove herself in the international music scene.
When the Philippines comes out in international news, it is often in connection with corruption, poverty, illnesses, political instability, etc. Now, in Charice, we have an inspiring role model for both young and older Filipinos who want to reach their dreams despite all the obstacles that may be present in their life. She's a young Filipino who's showing the world the positive side of her country and her people and yet, the more she gains success, the more the crabs find fault with anything and everything she does and publicize it. I am a Filipino and yet this crab mentality still amazes me. And this is one reason why I - and her other fans and supporters - try to promote Charice in whatever way possible because, just like what you said, there does exist another group of crabs on the other side of the bucket: her success is the success not just of all Filipinos, but of everyone who believes in working hard to reach one's dreams. Thank God for those crabs "on the other side of the bucket"!
Here's an excerpt from "The Soaring Spirit of Charice": http://mylatestoncharice.blogspot.com/2011/06/soaring-spirit-of-charice-pempengco-by.html
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