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“By the choices & acts of our lives, we create the person that we are & the faces that we wear. By the choices & acts of our lives we give to the world wherein our lives are lived, hoping others will find our contributions to be of worth and that the world will be a little more gracious for our time in it.” — Kenneth Patton-selected tweet quote by David Archuleta
One year ago, if you had told David Archuleta that he was a leader I’m sure he would have denied it, declaring instead that he’s a quiet, unassuming guy who goes about his life minding his own business. But leaders come in all shapes and sizes. If you’re in charge of a work situation, you lead. If you’re a parent or older sibling, you lead. If you’re a teacher, you lead. If you have people in your life who admire you, you lead. The truth is that to be considered a leader, you don’t have to be a CEO of a major corporation, nor do you have to be interesting, rich, famous or powerful.
By living his life by his own morals and standards and by the compassion he shows to others, David has slowly emerged as a leader. And he got to this position just by being himself, with all of his imperfections. His moral standards are high but he never gets preachy; he leads by example. In addition, he possesses the one trait that is essential to great leadership, a capacity for compassion. It’s hard to affect anyone unless you care.
That David cares is evident in the way he spends a portion of his very limited time off, visiting hospitals and nursing homes in his hometown. We hear of these visits only by chance, and no doubt in many cases, not at all.
In addition, he’s involved in and brings awareness to causes that mean a lot to him. Many of these causes involve children. Angels for a Cause was created by David’s fans to raise money for charities he endorses including Rising Star Outreach, for families suffering from leprosy. Last year, on the property of Rising Star Outreach, The Pathway of Hope was launched to raise money to fund a new school.
The Lisa Lopes Foundation is funding a new medical center for the children and families of Honduras. The Plane to Haiti provides much needed medical supplies, wheelchairs, doctors and physical therapists to victims of Haiti. In addition, David was involved in the Hope for Haiti Telethon to raise funds for those afflicted by the earthquake. David also supports Invisible Children, for children suffering from the effects of war in Uganda and Make A Wish, for making a child’s dream come true.
In January 2010, David went to Central America on behalf of Enterprise Mentors to help impoverished families become self-reliant by starting their own businesses. He said of visiting with many and witnessing first-hand the poverty there, “We’ve been meeting with several of the families and seeing how it’s affected them. It’s really neat and touching to see how different other peoples’ lives can be from ours. We take so much for granted way too often in our lives.”
When David sings, he sings from his soul. He reaches out and touches you and brings out the best in you. He inspires you to take his lead, do good things and be a better person. Gladys got it right when she recently said, in The Voice Unplugged, “He inspires so much respect, no one would dare do anything wrong.”
David Archuleta didn’t set out to be a leader. He just lives his life, and that life is an expression of himself and his values. Through his choices, he makes us believe in the decency of mankind and gives us hope for the future. He’s an extraordinary role model who is secure in his beliefs about what is good and true about humanity. He believes there is good in everyone and lives this belief by being compassionate to all, regardless of their differences. That he has touched so many lives and has profoundly affected his fans in so many positive ways, just by being who he is, has made me respect and appreciate what he represents.
In the recent Ryan Seacrest interview, David had the chance to talk about fame and about how the decisions he makes are far-reaching.
I believe he now realizes that he is thought of as a leader and that people look up to him, depend on him and value his worth. I believe he is very aware of the responsibility of fame to be a role model. Not accepting that fact is a choice too, and one that all too many celebrities make, but he has taken, “the road less traveled.” I believe that David Archuleta is ready and willing to take that road and shoulder his power. And that, in the lives of many, will make “all the difference.”
The Voice David Archuleta 