rock star

In a previous post, I mentioned going through a time of intentional personal development. Basically, it was several months of putting myself in stress-inducing situations to become the person I wanted to be (without hating myself for doing so).

Around that time, I attended a three-week work training where I met “Anya”. Being the incredible person she is, Anya accompanied me to a bar one Friday night because one of my goals was to sing karaoke in a public setting. She decided not to drink alcohol, and not wanting her to feel alone, I decided I wouldn’t either.

We ordered cola and sat down to watch a few people step into the spotlight and sing their hearts out. The night was young, and people were still fueling up on liquid courage. Feeling nervous, I contemplated abandoning my night’s only objective. She prodded me into picking out a song anyway.

Cue music.

It was immediately evident that all those years of singing in the pews taught me nothing. It took several attempts for me to find the key and with my limited range, I audibly struggled to hit the high notes.

However, by the second verse, I found myself truly enjoying the moment. The bartender was right. Since everyone was drinking, they didn’t care if some random person sang a Shawn Mendes song off-key. And being sober, I was able to take everything in – the fear, exhilaration, and inconsequentiality of it all.

As the music came to a close, I felt liberated and proud because there, in that crowd of drunken people, sat my equally sober friend clapping and hollering with a huge smile on her face.

Surround yourself with people like Anya because they are the ones who will push you to live out even your most insignificant dreams.