I watched a whole 2 hour programme on David Bowie yesterday, he told his life story, filled with joy, spirituality and wisdom. He talked of his humble beginnings, his feelings of wishing to escape, along with most teenagers he knew. Then later he made a song and was walking down an ordinary street in the video. And what struck me is, he didn’t wear those surroundings well, he looked so out of place. It would be like me looking our of my window and seeing Bowie on my street. I have never had any revelation hit me so hard, I remembered that feeling of wanting to escape the ordinary, the mundane, the rat race as a teenager. Of looking out of my bedroom window and dreaming of roaming the big wide world and having the money to do so. Being recognised for doing something good in the world, something worth while just as he had. And as I stared out of my window I was singing to the songs playing in my room. And watching this programme I was singing along to songs I hadn’t heard in decades.

And I could not believe I remembered every last word. Then a thought came to me, Bowie was my hero, my number one. His music spoke to me like no other, yes I loved other artists, Roxy Music, Queen, Marc Bolan, Pink Floyd, but it was always Bowie that really made my heart sing. And listening to his story of escape and finally being free to live his best life, I realised, although I never accomplished my dreams, and never escaped suburbia, the rat race, poverty, all the things that had held me captive.

The fact that he escaped saved me, his music saved my life, kept me going through times of hell. And that made me think of all the other artists, musicians, actors and authors we become fans of, and look up to. Their escape from the norm, not only saved them, but saves us too. Saved all those who didn’t have the talent or the courage to break free, so we owe a great gratitude of dept to all the freedom fighters, the actors, musicians, sports stars, comedians, boxers, football, snooker and even darts players.

Anyone who lifts us, gives ordinary folk hope, and the courage to get out there and follow in their foot steps. What is a runner? It’s just a man that runs… What is a tennis player? Just someone who hits a ball, yet we see the extraordinary in such simple skills, they prove reaching great heights is possible doing the simplest of tasks. We just have to find what suits us!

What are our interests, what do we love, what are we good at? Swimming, riding bikes, a skate board, driving cars, sailing boats, playing golf or just playing chess. In every area there are true champions that interest us. Us we consider ordinary, feeling stuck, unlucky and often ignored in our life.

Watching those stand out from the crowd lets us know what is possible. and we have so many options at any age, as long as we are alive there is hope. Many actors made it big in their forties, authors have sometimes made it in their 90s. The not so good looking and the chubby have found success, because it has nothing to do with looks, shape or youth. But has everything to do with when we ourselves are ready… ready on the inside.

When we want it enough, believe in ourselves enough, the universe will bring opportunity, send the right people, open doors and make it happen! I don’t care what you do or which skills you have. You can bake a cake, win Bake Off, become famous, get your own series and write cook books!

Who’d have thought? But it happens, because no matter how ordinary others may think you are, inside you secretly know you have something to offer the world. A gift, skill, talent, something that helps others, just as there are people on TV who are famous for selling at auctions, cleaning homes, building, decorating, repairing items, and making things. Or even just sitting on a sofa watching others on TV and commenting, as in the Goggle box 100th series! Mundane ordinary things that we do in the home every single day, some make absolute fortunes doing that, become famous and entertain us at the same time. Just ordinary every day people like us.

A man may sing in our local pub and we think that was nice, he has a great voice and chat to him later as a friend. He’s just another bloke. But when another singer just like him becomes famous we go insane, we are desperate to meet him and have his name scribbled on a scrap of paper.

Here is a difference between seeing the rock star and the ordinaty man among us. I once worked with a man in a factory for a year, I sat next to him on the works bus every morning and we laughed and joked, and he fixed my car and was a good, kind friend. Then one day he said have you never noticed I ook like Freddie Mercury, I laughed then said oh my god!

I was absolutely stunned, how could I not notice that!? He was the spitting image, yet the resemblance had by passed my observational senses because he was just an ordinarty bloke, in ordinary dress in our local factory. And no one else in the factory had ever mentioned him looking like Freddie Mercury either. But he said he saw Queen in concert and waited outside for his autograph, and the minute Freddie saw him he said, my god, it’s like looking in the mirror. So how did I not notice this?

A famous artist went busking in London, he played the guitar he was famous for, but was completely ignored by the pubic. Because like me with my friend, in an ordinary setting nobody recognised him, because we don’t expect to see the likes of him or Bowie in surburbia. He is the same person with the same talent known or unknown, in disguise or on display. Yet unless we are shown they are a somebody we find them unimportant. David Bowie, Clint Eastwood and Leonardo Di Caprio was once deemed unimportant until they were thrust into the spotlight, on screen or stage. A great darts player down our local pub may be admired, but he is one of us, just an ordinary bloke until he ends up on telly in the championships.

They stepped out of the stands and onto the court with the simplest of skills, TVs big brother contestants who gained a career for life, like Jade Goody and Jemma Collins. Real talent may reject them, just as old money rejects new money like lottery winners, etc. But the point is they made it, despite what anyone else thinks of them, they walked their own path and succeeded. And in turn give the rest of us hope to climb out of the well, as so many more ordinary people apply for these reality TV shows each day.

I used to believe there was no opportunity where I lived in Farnworth and Bolton. But these days, instead I think of the talent that came from here, like Gandalf, Ian Mckellen who went to Bolton School, Peter Kay, Paddy Mcguiness, Ralf Little, Cunk, Jenny the chaser, just a quiz master. Amir Khan the boxer, Vernon Kay, Sara Cox, Ghandi, Ben Kingsley, Hilda Baker, J.S Lowry, Frank Finley, Russel Watson, Fred Dibnah! And he just knocked down chimneys! The Manchester bands like Oasis! 808 State, etc.

And stuck at home listening to Bowie I thought there was no opportunity in my small home town. But there is opportunity wherever we live in the world, the poorest villages in Africa has produced the greatest runners in the Olympics. So it was me, my own fears and listening to the lie of those who said I had no talent, was just ordinary, was nothing special so they could continue to believe they were more important than I in comparison.

Because when we do more we often make others feel less, when we raise ourselves higher others may sink lower, as envy, jealousy, talk of… We’ve changed, who do we think we are now, just because we had a hit record, got our face on telly, sold a book, etc. Yes we can lose many friends as they feel left out… the crowd always stick to their own kind, then you don’t fit in anymore as you are seen as different. But the truth is you had to be different to create a different environment for yourself, we must change on the inside to achieve better on the outside. We must become rich in thought to attract wealth in reality, we must feel important first to create and achieve success in our lives. Think about that, how do you feel when you have no money and can’t afford something, a new car or a holiday?

Frustrated, small, useless, incapable, sad? So how would you feel if you could afford to just go out and buy another car, pay for a weekend break, or a Carrabean holiday, and not just one jacket but a wardrobe full of new clothes and shoes whenever you wanted? It is a very different feeling, and that is the feeling we need to imagine, visualise and create on the inside before we can gain the same wealth on the outside. So we change before we succeed, but because our circumstances look the same, friends don’t notice until the money and success flows into our reality. So money and success is just a belief, it is only a thought away so focus and free yourself.

So we may follow and envy the success of others who left us behind in suburbia, we might even resent them, believing we made them, through buying their films, records and merchandise. And feel they aren’t grateful when they avoid us and refuse to give us an autograph, or lay bare their private life story. But remember, we may make them, but they make us, it’s a mutual transaction between souls, to change our lives if we choose. Their music saved us when we had little hope… when things went wrong in life they entertained us, gave us that push to want more so they deserve everything they attract through the help and collaberation of the universe. And so do you, so whatever your hobby, make it a career, believe in self!