How to Create A Viral Story

The way to create viral story is to create a beautiful story with universal appeal, a story which people can relate to on a global scale. Here is an example of exactly what I am talking about.

Yesterday, after a very tiring day at the hospital for a round of routine tests, I got home and just wanted to wind down. I went on to my Facebook video section where I get alerts to all manner of Youtube videos in my areas of interest. One of the areas I have had a lifetime of interest in is music. So when I saw a new America's Got Talent video I went straight to it.

Some of these videos make me laugh out loud, some make me sympathise and some make me sad. The one I opened up yesterday made me feel totally overawed with humility and reduced me to tears. It wasn't so much the song or the performance as the back story and the singer's attitude to having to deal with cancer.

Jane, or Nightbirde as the singer likes to call herself, brought the house down and got the Golden Buzzer from Simon Cowell after a stunning performance. With voice of an angel Jane sang of her last year fighting the deadly disease that cancer is. On listening to this gorgeous song of positivity and reassurance I don't think anybody could be unaffected. But for me there were two additional takeaways to the amazing performance and the message of her original song.

Howie Mandel commented that considering she was fighting such an awful illness, she was glowing with such positivity and a beautiful smile, so much that nobody would know what she was going through. Jane replied...

"It's important everyone knows that I'm so much more than the bad things that happened to me."

I just wanted to reach out and give this incredible woman a hug. But there was one more comment that struck me right though the heart and rendered me to a jabbering wreck in a flood of tears.

Here is a woman who has been given just a two percent chance of survival. A woman who amidst all of the torment that comes with terminal cancer was abandoned by her partner because he didn't love her any more. On this abandonment I am speechless.

And yet, despite all the turmoil she has been through, and still is going through with cancer in her liver, lungs and spine, Jane comes across as a tower of strength. No wallowing in self pity or playing for sympathy, just total honesty and acceptance of her situation.

Then came the killer comment from Jane that floored me when she said to Simon Cowell.....

"You can’t wait until life isn’t hard anymore before you decide to be happy."

That rendered Simon speechless. Indeed, it was obvious the whole panel was very emotionally impacted by the whole experience. This wasn't a talent contest so much as a softly dramatic, harrowing tale of one woman's battle against appalling odds. And she came up beaming a beautiful smile and glowing with positivity as if her biggest battle was won rather than she was living on borrowed time.

Like lots of folk, I too have had some bad times in terms of relationships and health matters. And I have to admit that there were times when it got the better of me. If only I had had an ounce of Jane's positivity it would have all been plain sailing. Never mind, I sailed away from all that a long time ago and now live in peace and tranquility.What's more, my odds of overcoming my ongoing health problems are a darn sight better than Jane's. For this reason I have promised myself that I will try to be as positive as Jane about whatever life throws at me, come hell or high-water.

What Jane did with her story was tell it beautifully, set to music with words that resonate with just about everybody who has ever had to deal with adverse life conditions. She reached out to everybody on a global stage and in doing so blew everybody away with her innate musical and literal talent. These are all the ingredients you need to go viral. I sincerely hope she goes all the way to achieving her dreams whilst she still has time and the energy and ability to make it.