Be Encouraged

MICROPHONE © Richard J Thompson | Dreamstime.com

When I was in high school, I sat in front of a girl in my English class that everyone in the school knew was a singer. She was active in our school’s varsity chorus and a few other smaller singing groups at school. (To the best of my knowledge, we didn’t throw slushees on our singing groups – they were all very talented and I think all the non-choir students respected and appreciated their gifts)

Fast forward to recent times when I reconnected with her on Facebook and Twitter as I did a lot of my high school classmates. Of course, she was still singing. Furthermore, she was putting together a CD. We were in similar boats as she was doing her CD independently and I had become more serious about my writing and was working towards being an indie publisher. She’d had a classmate do her album’s artwork, I’d had a friend from college do the cover to the manuscript I was working on. Like me, She was also juggling family, career, and ambitions. So, anytime she tweeted or posted an update on the status of her project, I paid attention.

I recently got my hands on her CD (a surprise from my husband) and was simply blown away by the end product of not only her talent, but her perseverance and determination. She was at the place that I was still working to get to, but for a number of reasons excuses, I hadn’t made it yet. But let me tell you, from the first track, I remembered just how good of a vocalist she is and learned that she is also a good poet, songwriter, and arranger. She’d done it all herself, from beginning to end with the support of friends and family that believed in her vision.

Did she have challenges? Of course. When we embark on things that are new or go out in active pursuit of achieving dreams, there are going to be challenges, setbacks, and haters. I’m sure there are some that rolled their eyes and wondered if she was ever going to finish. I’m sure there are some that said that her music “ain’t all that” now that she is done. (Trust, they’re lying) Sometimes we hold ourselves back mentally, allowing negativity and/or past failures to keep us captive. Sometimes that mental state will allow us to down ourselves when our peers have success in something that we’re trying to achieve ourselves.

But instead of that negative, I found myself even more driven and encouraged. She had a vision and she pressed towards it. She completed it and is now reaping the benefits of what she’s sown, both tangible and intangible. I am happy for her and proud of her. As for me, I don’t know how much longer my journey is going to be. I’m not sure of all that lies ahead, but I do know that if I keep my focus on what is good, consciously reject negative thinking (because you do have to choose not to dwell on the negative and invite it to manifest in your life), continue to learn from my missteps, and surround myself with good people (and good music), I am confident that in that perfect timing, I too will be at the finish line.

She signed my CD. On it, she wrote “Be encouraged.” Believe me friend, I definitely am. Hey, maybe we can have a joint listening party/book signing one day.