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Writer's pictureSharleen Linton

Taking Up Space: Jennifer Hudson's Example of Unwavering Confidence

Updated: Jun 22, 2023


Jenifer Hudson and Sharleen the Vocal Alchemist photo

Photo: from personal archive


One of the highlights of my career was singing with Jennifer Hudson. She carried herself in a way that simply astounded me and that I love to see from my American brothers and sisters, in particular. I love how she stands tall in the ability of her voice with no wavering doubt of any kind. I've worked with a minority of artists who knew how to appear confident, but weren't so much behind the scenes. Jennifer Hudson is not that, and I was completely in awe of her.


She was such a pleasure to work with. I kept getting this sense that she was really ready and had been readying herself for this opportunity to sing to the world for a while. And now that the opportunity was here, she was going to stand in it and take up all of her space in it during rehearsals.


There was a humorous phrase that she would repeat at times, which was, "Well, I'm here honey," and it was a phrase to indicate that she was ready and that she was going to take up space without any apology.


When I think about the energy of Jennifer Hudson, it makes me think about the choice to be certain no matter what anyone has said, even if they are in prominent places. If you're aware of Jennifer Hudson's story, you will be aware that her pathway into stardom wasn't smooth, however, it takes a certain type of character to just keep going.


There's something beautiful about that tunnel vision, fixation, and focus. To say, "This is the image and the vision that I have in my mind. This is where I am going and I won't stop until I get there. I don't necessarily need to see how I get there, but I am going to get there." Then making that vision so big in your mind that it has no choice but to come into being. I talk about this big vision when I spoke about auditioning for Adele, and you can read that here.


Now, I don't pretend to be besties with Jennifer Hudson but I know what I felt from her in those rehearsals and on that stage. I remember the first time I heard her sing whilst I was just a few feet away from her. Mind. Blown. Sis doesn't hold back. EVER. And it put fire in my belly!


I'm telling you that there's nothing like creating that space within yourself to have absolute, unconditional, positive self-regard with no wavering or doubt about your skills, your talent, your expertise, and your wisdom. Even if your culture calls that arrogance, even if it's not the done thing to be that confident, just be it anyway, simply because it feels good. It feels good to know yourself as that and it feels good to fixate on a vision of your dreams with no apology, relentlessly. It feels good to live there.


If you want to live a life of pleasure, fun, and beauty, then you need to make a vision of where you want to be in your career and your life so big, so realistic, and so vivid in your mind, that your body experiences it as if you were there now. The mind doesn't know anything about time, so if you make this vision big and powerful, your body will experience it as if it were real. This will give you the confidence and courage to never take no for an answer, and the opportunities will come to you.


So go ahead and heart this blog, share it, and check out the video on the number one thing that is guaranteed to create confidence.







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