Working in a company where you feel you're not respected and that you can be replaced at any moment can be frustrating to say the least. Situations like this can weigh one down and makeone depressed and feel like life is meaningless. And we all know the consequences of this type of destructive thinking.
This is exactly what I was facing not too long ago. I worked for a company as a sales representative and among all the sales reps, I was the only female. I did twice the work, brought in more sales and got paid less. To top that off I wasn't respected by my peers. I got constantly harassed by higher ups who were always threatening to get me out of the company just because I wasn't responding to their advances.
This toxic environment became increasingly tougher to deal with when I found out that the woman in charge of the complaints department was an older sister of one of the men who was always harassing me. I needed the job so I did my best to ignore all their actions. I did my best by staying to myself, continued to work hard and make enough money for myself and help my two siblings through school.
As each day passed it was becoming clearer and clearer that this was not what I want to do the rest of my life and a change had to be made. I always had this feeling that the world needed me in some way, like I had a divine purpose, but I always wondered what I had that I could offer the world..
I knew that the people who had managed to change the world had wonderful ideas and massive courage which made them achieve great things. I had no sort of idea of what I had to offer not to mention my courage to accomplish anything was just about shot. The only thing that I could think of that I really like to do was sing but only for fun not for like a career. I had no idea how to make a career out of singing so I always pushed it aside. Not to mention I didn't know if I was good enough to make it anyway. I never sang in front of anyone except for an occasional passenger in my car. Other than that I don't think anyone has heard me sing. I always felt that if I wanted to be like the great female musicians of this generation, I would need great connections with people who not only like my singing but who could also help me get to where I needed to go as far as a career. Unfortunately I didn't know of any such person so I pretty much let it go.
This is where my story gets interesting. One evening, after I got off work, two of my colleagues and friends, David and Eve, walked up to me {and I remember the conversation like it was yesterday}...
"Hey, Sarah," Eve said. "How are you doing?"
"Fine, thanks," I said.
"David and I are going to a new bar tomorrow night. Would you like to join us?"
"A bar?" I said, very surprised. "I haven't been to a bar in years."
"This bar is different," David said. "it's a music bar where they allow people in the audience to come up and sing but it's not cheesy like karaoke." Think of American Idol but in a bar setting, it's really fun!"
I looked at them speculatively. "I can't sing," I said.
"Liar," Eve said. "I heard you singing in the car that time you gave me a ride home."
David smiled. "Eve told me you have the most beautiful voice she had ever heard."
"She's exaggerating."
"Come on, say you will come," Eve urged. "You can sing any song about anything."
"I don't know, "I said. "Let me see how tomorrow will be."
"Okay, I will hold you to that. You won't want to miss this, trust me," Eve said.
"I will know tomorrow," I said.
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Later that evening when I got home, I sat on my couch and stared into space. I was tired of a job that I needed desperately to pay my bills. I needed something new, something that would make me both happy and fulfilled. I struggled to prepare dinner and after eating, I stretched out and. Dozed off.
Suddenly I found myself on the top of a twenty story building. I wondered how I got there. Not far from where I was standing I saw a young woman standing on the railing. She was about as close to the edge as one could get before toppling over.
I wanted to scream as to warn her but nothing came out of my mouth. It was as if I was in a place where no sound was allowed. Then a sudden inspiration came to me. Something urged me to start singing. I was baffled at first because if the young woman couldn't hear me speak, how could she hear me sing?
I began singing anyway and a melodious tune flew out of my mouth. Even I couldn't believe it. The young lady turned back and slowly walked towards me. The song was that of motivation, of inspiration, urging people to do better in their lives, telling people not to give up, that they still had a chance as long as they were alive. She smiled and then stepped down from the railing and walked towards me. Then she disappeared and I opened my eyes.
I found out that I was still on the couch in my living room. I had been dreaming. For the first time in a long time, I didn't forget my dream. All the other dreams I had had were ones that I forgot as soon as I woke up.
I began to think about the dream and what it meant. I analyzed everything. I had used a song to save a person's life. Singing had been the one thing I wanted to do since I was a kid. And here I was singing to save someone's life in a dream. When I was a kid, people would ask me what I wanted to become in the future, and I would tell them that I wanted to be a doctor in order to save people's lives. I was too shy and too embarrassed to say I wanted to sing to accomplish this.
Now here I was in this dream saving someone's life with a song that I was singing. The song was not one that I had heard before. It just seemed to flow from my subconscious.
Where would I even get the chance? Who could I even meet that would like my singing well enough to give me a career? I recalled my earlier conversation with David and Eve inviting me to the bar.
The next day after work, I told David and Eve that I would love to go with them to the bar. They picked me up after work and off we went. Upon arriving at the bar I remember being very nervous. When we arrived I saw people everywhere. It was a much larger crowd than what I was expecting. My nerves began telling me I couldn't do it and at this point I wanted to go home.
Three people went up to sing and the response from the crowd was lukewarm at best. At this point I knew I couldn't do it and just wanted to go home. But I remembered my dream and with David and Eve rooting me on I felt I could do it. I walked to the stage with my heart pounding. I kept telling myself that I could this.
I picked up the mic and looked around. Only David, Eve and two other people were looking at me. The others were busy chatting with one another.
"Hi," I said. "I have a song that was inspired by a dream I had last night..."
"Thank goodness it wasn't a nightmare," a man said and the others laughed.
I smiled too. "It wasn't a nightmare. It was a beautiful dream."
Then I began to sing. Gradually, I became lost in the song. I sang about good deeds, about ways that people can get positive inspirations that can change their lives. I sang about forgiveness and love.
When I was through, I found everyone in the bar standing and clapping. Some had tears in their eyes. People were coming up to me and congratulating me. Some hugged me and some offered to buy me a drink.
A gentleman approached me and told me he was a producer and asked if I would like to record the song I had just sang. I said absolutely!! My life changed in that instant. I went on to produce that song and many more. I went on to record an album that sold over a million of copies all over the world.
My career has allowed me to donate to charities that empower individuals to have the courage to follow their dreams. I've been given the opportunity to travel all over the world and sing songs that encourage individuals to follow their dreams. However the most rewarding thing is hearing from people who write me daily telling me how my songs have come to them in their darkest hour. When they had given up all hope and felt as though they have no one in their lives that understand them. How my music has lifted them from a state of depression and despair. How they now have hope and inspiration. How they've gone from a meaningless life to a life that is full of meaning and purpose.
I encourage anyone reading this to please follow your dreams. Inside of you is enough inspiration and purpose to impact the world and everyone in it. Do not give up on your dreams this world needs you now more than ever. Trust me, someone needs to hear your voice, your ideas, your gift to lift them up just like this world needed me.
