I used to dream about becoming a famous singer. The love of music is deeply embedded in my DNA that to deny it would be to deny my own existence. However, unlike other passions in life, music doesn't seem to agree with me. I have neither the musical genius of a composer nor do I have the natural talent of a singer. Singing a note to crisp perfection was never a strong suit of mine. I am monotonic at best. Just the same, I still keep singing. Why? Because I love to.
I was scrolling through my facebook newsfeed one day when I came upon an article about singing. The article said that there are studies claiming that singing for at least 10 minutes a day can alleviate stress and perk up one's mood. I don't know how they came upon this conclusion but I totally agree with it. I feel ecstatic every time I "belt" out notes along with Sia, Beyonce or Whitney. It gives off a kind of vibe that is reminiscent of new year celebrations with fireworks and dances all around you. Even with my friends cringing at the sound of my voice I keep "belting" it out as if to expel a demon from within. In a sense perhaps I am expelling demons from within - stress, worry, uncertainty and the list goes on. For all I know, it may also be my way of drowning out all the negative vibe within and around me.
It has been three days since my last post and I feel the drive more than ever to see this dream through. I will stick to writing down my thoughts and keep creating magic moments, whether or not they will land me on the cover of magazines one day. I have been told many times that I cannot sing and will never become a singer. I have been told that I won't be able to do a lot of things, that I'm not good enough. Perhaps there is truth in that but the greater truth that I should adhere to is the truth of my existence - that my passions are as valid as anyone else's who has been gifted with inborn talents. I may or may not have what it takes to be a great and renowned writer but that does not dilute the validity of my experiences. This world is as much ours as everyone else's hence, it is incumbent upon us to take full advantage of the vast experiences it has to offer and that includes living our dreams no matter the odds. The only tragedy is giving up when one does not even take the first step. That is a life wasted - spent on feeding off the negativity of others.
We can turn this world into the embodiment of our dreams by drowning out all negativity. The only way to do this is to start speaking up words of encouragement to ourselves and to everyone around us. Should have, would have, and could have are phrases that should only be used to refer to things that we have learned from our experiences. Turning them into the theme of your life would be the greatest travesty that you can commit against yourself because it is nullifying the miracle of life that lives in you. I remember telling my mom back in college that I was running for the presidency of the university student council to which she replied - do you stand a chance? Watch me, I said. That moment gave me the impetus to do everything in my power to win the elections. Inspite of a number of obstacles that befell me, I persisted through each and every obstacle with one thing on my mind - push myself to the limits and discover how far I can go with everything that I have been endowed with. I won. That victory wasn't so much about winning the elections. It was more about discovering an inner strength I never knew I had in me.
I learned a valuable lesson then; that commitment is what elevates a person from the banality of routine life to the glory of victory. Commitment is what distinguishes winners from spectators - those who spend their lives watching others succeed and living vicariously through them while waiting silently for them to trip thereby effectively giving them a reason to justify their apprehension to pursue their own dreams. It is much easier to tear apart other people's dreams because pursuing your own would mean you would have to put up a mighty effort to achieve it. It also means that you would need to confront your own demons when it is much easier to just stow them away at the back of your closet. More importantly, it would require you to face the realities of your limits and weaknesses. Instictively, we'd rather not know because what you don't know won't hurt you. However, it is in this deliberate obliviousness that we hurt ourselves slowly and perpertually because by not making an attempt to achieve our dreams, we create a spectre that will haunt us for the rest of our lives with what if questions. I, for one, am not willing to spend the rest of my life asking myself what if because I already know that I am a miracle, a birthright we all share that is more than enough cause for celebration.
We are living miracles by the mere fact that we live in a world where life abounds amid the cosmic background of void and lifelessness. So, the next time you feel insignificant, look to the stars and marvel at the thought that life has (so far) been found only on this planet. That is our claim to fame.
xoxo
QB
I was scrolling through my facebook newsfeed one day when I came upon an article about singing. The article said that there are studies claiming that singing for at least 10 minutes a day can alleviate stress and perk up one's mood. I don't know how they came upon this conclusion but I totally agree with it. I feel ecstatic every time I "belt" out notes along with Sia, Beyonce or Whitney. It gives off a kind of vibe that is reminiscent of new year celebrations with fireworks and dances all around you. Even with my friends cringing at the sound of my voice I keep "belting" it out as if to expel a demon from within. In a sense perhaps I am expelling demons from within - stress, worry, uncertainty and the list goes on. For all I know, it may also be my way of drowning out all the negative vibe within and around me.
It has been three days since my last post and I feel the drive more than ever to see this dream through. I will stick to writing down my thoughts and keep creating magic moments, whether or not they will land me on the cover of magazines one day. I have been told many times that I cannot sing and will never become a singer. I have been told that I won't be able to do a lot of things, that I'm not good enough. Perhaps there is truth in that but the greater truth that I should adhere to is the truth of my existence - that my passions are as valid as anyone else's who has been gifted with inborn talents. I may or may not have what it takes to be a great and renowned writer but that does not dilute the validity of my experiences. This world is as much ours as everyone else's hence, it is incumbent upon us to take full advantage of the vast experiences it has to offer and that includes living our dreams no matter the odds. The only tragedy is giving up when one does not even take the first step. That is a life wasted - spent on feeding off the negativity of others.
We can turn this world into the embodiment of our dreams by drowning out all negativity. The only way to do this is to start speaking up words of encouragement to ourselves and to everyone around us. Should have, would have, and could have are phrases that should only be used to refer to things that we have learned from our experiences. Turning them into the theme of your life would be the greatest travesty that you can commit against yourself because it is nullifying the miracle of life that lives in you. I remember telling my mom back in college that I was running for the presidency of the university student council to which she replied - do you stand a chance? Watch me, I said. That moment gave me the impetus to do everything in my power to win the elections. Inspite of a number of obstacles that befell me, I persisted through each and every obstacle with one thing on my mind - push myself to the limits and discover how far I can go with everything that I have been endowed with. I won. That victory wasn't so much about winning the elections. It was more about discovering an inner strength I never knew I had in me.
I learned a valuable lesson then; that commitment is what elevates a person from the banality of routine life to the glory of victory. Commitment is what distinguishes winners from spectators - those who spend their lives watching others succeed and living vicariously through them while waiting silently for them to trip thereby effectively giving them a reason to justify their apprehension to pursue their own dreams. It is much easier to tear apart other people's dreams because pursuing your own would mean you would have to put up a mighty effort to achieve it. It also means that you would need to confront your own demons when it is much easier to just stow them away at the back of your closet. More importantly, it would require you to face the realities of your limits and weaknesses. Instictively, we'd rather not know because what you don't know won't hurt you. However, it is in this deliberate obliviousness that we hurt ourselves slowly and perpertually because by not making an attempt to achieve our dreams, we create a spectre that will haunt us for the rest of our lives with what if questions. I, for one, am not willing to spend the rest of my life asking myself what if because I already know that I am a miracle, a birthright we all share that is more than enough cause for celebration.
We are living miracles by the mere fact that we live in a world where life abounds amid the cosmic background of void and lifelessness. So, the next time you feel insignificant, look to the stars and marvel at the thought that life has (so far) been found only on this planet. That is our claim to fame.
xoxo
QB
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