When I started taking music classes in college I struggled.
I’m talking about struggling like the beginning of Sylvester Stallone’s movie Cliffhanger. Where the lady is holding on for dear life in what looks like the Grand Canyon, before she falls to her death. I felt like that for three years. There were ups too but since everyone around me had previous music training I always felt like the dumb one.
I trained like crazy for my first vocal recital. I learned the song, sang in Italian, and hit all the right notes. At the end of my performance I was more relieved than happy. My voice teacher came over and congratulated me and she told me something special.
She said the director of the music department never talks about student performances. But after my performance he came over and told her that, I have “it”. She explained what “it” meant. She didn’t have to, I knew that one all too well.
Beyonce was the “it” girl of Destiny’s Child.
Michael Jackson was the “it” guy of the Jackson 5.
When the glamour of being on stage wore off I was back in class swimming upstream. When I felt like quitting or changing my major I hung onto the director’s words. I didn’t feel like an “it” whiz so I borrowed his belief in ME.
I didn’t use his words just to get thru music classes I applied them everywhere. Whenever I doubted myself I borrowed my old director’s belief. It gave me the strength to keep moving forward.
When Shark Tank’s Barbara Corcoran’s broker career was taking off she went to an event with a bunch of real estate moguls. She was the only woman there and she got nervous. Self doubt kicked in. And then she thought, “I deserve to be here.” Those words gave her the leap of faith she needed. And the same is true for you.
You deserve to be here.
You deserve to make a living doing what you feel called to do.
You deserve to be paid handsomely for it.
As I told my oldest daughter… You’re not Hermione Granger you’re Harry Potter.
You’re the one. You’re Luke Skywalker. You’re the one who is supposed to do what you came here to do and change your world.
You know how I know? Because you’re here. Now do us all a favor and continue to step into your greatness.
Adam