How did Michael acquire mental strength when there was really no one else like him?

StarlightXX

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I don't necessarily mean how he faced challenges in his life, but merely how he endured life in general. Did he have someone inspirational that kept him going? Or an object? Faith in God? I mean, someone or something he can look up to and admire and be influenced by?

I always believed his mother was very inspirational for him, even when she was in the background (after Michael moved out of the family home). She looks a very optimistic, positive, encouraging woman and I can see how Michael got some of his traits from her.
 
That’s what makes him special, turning darkness into light. I can’t think of any people who do that. It takes a deep strong mental to know what’s right and go against the grain. Something deep inside his soul told him. Perhaps god in his mind?
 
He was a very spiritual person and did believe in God which is definitely something that would help any one person to face a lot (speaking from experience)
His mother and close friends I feel like would also help, along with children. It’s easy for me to see how their attitude could rub off on him and bring about a positive mindset to help endure struggles of any kind - that’s the case with myself. He has said something about how if it weren’t for the children he would throw in the towel in an interview or a call or something like that, can’t remember the source sorry.
Idk if this would go through his mind or whatnot, but especially during the trials so many people wanted him to fail. So just wanting to prove them wrong is a possibility.
Maybe the fans also had a role? He has said many a time how much he loves us. In my mind it could bring a sense of comfort and encouragement or extreme stress having that many people look up to you or wanting to be there to support you.
I personally feel like his faith and relationship with God would be the biggest aspect though.
 
Here's Michael answering this question himself in the Shmuley tapes:

MJ: Okay, I’ll give you my honest answer. Okay, um. My greatest dream that I have left—I have accomplished my dreams with music and all that and I love music and entertainment—is this children’s initiative, is this thing that we are doing. But, um, ’cause I don’t care about [anything else], I really don’t, I don’t care about [career], I honestly don’t Shmuley. What keeps me going is children, or else I would, I would seriously. . . I’ve told you this before, I swear to God I mean every word. I would, I would just throw in the towel if it wasn’t for children or babies. And that’s my real, my honest [answer]. . . and I’ve said it before, if it weren’t for children, I would choose death. I mean it with all my heart.

MJ: I get it back through the happiness and the joy that I see in the eyes of the children. They saved my life so I want to. . . give it back [Michael starts crying]. They saved me. I am not joking. Just being with them, just seeing them. It really has.
 
I could also imagine that doing what he was best in (creating, music, dancing...) probably gave him a lot of strength. He could bloom like a flower. I'd just wish for him that he could have done that and still have some more "normal" life and privacy. Maybe making music on a smaller scale would have been much less exhausting for him - even if that would mean for us that Michael wouldn't be the figure for us that he is now and probably some or many songs would have never existed. But for him it would probably have been easier to bear.
 
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