Believe in Yourself: You Have Something to Offer the World
Believe in Yourself: You Have Something to Offer the World
By Sam de la Haye
We’ve all had moments where we doubt ourselves and our ability to make a difference, where we feel lost and hopeless about how to get to our dreams!
I remember living in London, and I was working as a care assistant for a girl with a brain injury - I loved my Job, but at 23 years of age, I had a dream… to become a professional singer/pianist/songwriter. And that calling was LOUD LOUD LOUD!!!
Every morning I felt a pang in my heart like I was living the wrong life - I felt exhausted, drained, depressed and hopeless.
Then one night, whilst on my way home from an open mike,I decided to pull over by the river Thames and look out at the water. It must have been about 2 am, and it was bitterly cold. I stood there for about 20 minutes and wept.
The questions that were running through my head were
How did I get here?
How do I become a singer?
This is impossible, God; why are you doing this to me?
I’m a failure!
Then I prayed
And I let it all out… all my angst, all my fear, everything.
You see, I knew I had something to offer the world, and it was so frustrating. I had little confidence in myself, and I desperately wanted someone to save me. Pick me up and turn me into a star! I felt like I was going CRAZY!
What I didn’t realise was that I had to go on this journey of self-discovery.
You see, back then, I didn’t trust myself, and I was living as a victim - That was my first lesson.
One week after I prayed, I chatted with a promoter and accidentally mentioned to him that I had heard about this course called the Landmark forum a few years back! I had a brilliant music teacher who had done it and also a friend - Both of their lives had changed dramatically. This promoter held my hand and said, DO IT! as it happened, he had done the same course [which I had not known] it was all very serendipity....
It was only after doing the Landmark forum that I learnt about integrity. I was giving all my power away by blaming others and outside circumstances for not becoming a pro singer.
This is what moved the needle for me!
The power of your word!
I started to understand the power of my word. On reflection, I had so many excuses and blamed so many people for the lack of my success. I was giving them all my power. The moment I took responsibility and respected my word, things started to change.
If I said I was going to do something - I DID it!
I declared that I was going to be a pro singer - and then I sat down and thought of all the actions a pro singer would take
- Audition
- Take vocal classes
- Lose weight and look good
- Have a promo reel
- Have good photos
- Show up at as many open mikes as possible and get good!
I stopped blaming my parents, my job, my income, my .blah blah blah
It just wasn’t helpful and was keeping me stuck.
Be Realistic but Don’t Settle
Creating your dreams doesn’t happen overnight. It takes weeks, months or even years of small steps in the right direction.
You must be realistic about your skill set and acknowledge where you are now and where you want to go! I have a brilliant saying that I picked up from a little book I have
“The bigger the challenge, the bigger the success!
Don’t delude yourself into thinking you can become an expert in something after only one night of practice—that just isn't realistic.
In my case, I knew it was a numbers game - I had to show up for several auditions before I got my first professional Job. And although I wanted to get signed by SONY or Warner, auditioning for a cruise ship was a much more achievable goal to start with. And it was a great training ground to build my hours up to becoming good!
Perhaps your goal is to be able to sing and play one cover song first - This is a manageable goal rather than setting a goal that you are going to be pro.
It's important to be honest with yourself about what you know and what you don't know yet so that you can set yourself up for success as you continue learning and developing new skills.
However, don't allow your lack of knowledge or experience to serve as an excuse for not trying or for settling for mediocrity; instead, use it as motivation to keep going until you reach your goal!
Listen to Your Inner Voice
Call it fate, an answer from God who knows.. But if I had not listened to my inner voice and participated in doing the Landmark Forum, who knows the life I may have created for myself?
It just takes one conversation!
You have to be able to see and receive the opportunities that come your way!
I could have ignored that promoter who suggested I do the Landmark Forum!
I could have said I couldn’t afford it! Instead, I put the landmark Forum on a credit card as I was totally skint!
I saw an opportunity. I felt called to take it, and I didn’t ignore my inner voice, and looking back, it changed everything!
It's like a muscle; the more you use it, the louder and stronger it gets.
Your inner voice is powerful—it knows what you love, what excites you, what motivates you, and even what scares you.
What is your inner voice telling you?
If you are struggling to hear your inner voice or have forgotten those dreams you have ignored from years ago, I would like to invite you to my four-part Masterclass series: Seek Your Truth.
I will be doing a FREE Four-part Masterclass series starting Thursday, April 13th 2023
“Seek Your Truth”: 4 Steps To Awakening Your Creative Musical Self: How to find your authentic singing voice whilst accompanying yourself on the piano through songwriting and playing covers without reading a note of music.
Not only will you receive tons of motivation and accountability, but you will also learn basic skills in piano, such as improvising around chords whilst singing. - Yes, beginners can do this I promise…
If you are struggling to hear your inner voice or have forgotten those dreams you have ignored from years ago, This Masterclass series will reawaken your inner voice and help you hear it!
This isn’t your typical musical skills masterclass series. I have created a safe space for you to explore who you really want to become through the vessel of singing, playing and songwriting. You will awaken your creativity and walk away feeling clear and motivated and know your next step! You will fall in love with music again and have the confidence to walk on the right path - whatever that is!
