I remember being so flattered because it was such a wonderful thing. I felt happy. Though, I remember feeling terrified that I had never played in front of anyone. The thought of going live reminded me of my great shyness.
After a few tense minutes, I sat down, gathered as much false confidence as I could, and emailed him with my fingers trembling: “How much will you pay?” He replied “Nothing”, but I agreed anyway.
I invited everyone I knew to the party. But only two friends of all the people I invited came. When it was time to start, I sat in front of a crowd of about 20 who were not at all interested, but I started anyway.
My fingers trembled, my voice trembled, and I blundered a lot. But who cares, this was my first party. Despite all that, the audience applauded me several times, which meant they were listening. When I finished, I packed my bags and got out as fast as I could.
Before I went to sleep that night, I asked my two friends who attended about my performance. I noticed that they tried not to disappoint me. I knew my performance was disastrous, but it all didn't matter because I had my first concert. And after my first concert, no matter how frightened I was or how badly I did at it, it meant I could move on to the second one because I can't do the second concert if I don't do the first. The first one will always be one of the scariest things I'll ever do.
If you really desire something, you have to go through a few hardships to get it. You have to face your fears and dive into the first time you do the thing you desire without forgetting the real prize which is the second time.
Do you want to be a writer?
If you want to be a writer, you should bring paper and a pen and start writing a little bit. You won't be finished then. You have to publish what you write. This is because posting for the first time will make you very intimidated. After a while, you will get used to it, and it will no longer be so scary for you.
Do you want to be an artist?
It's okay to draw alone in your home for example. But if you want more than that, you should start publishing your drawings in front of others. Ask cafes or galleries if you can display your drawings there, or try to show them to new people.
Do you want to be a musician?
Head to the nearest café or diner you can find, and ask them if you can throw a little party for them. Then tell them you're the greatest musician ever. Keep doing that until someone believes you. Someone has to believe you in the end.
If they ask you to do a two-hour party but you can't do it, tell them you'll be traveling out of town for two weeks. Then try to learn new songs every day until you can do it.
Do you want to climb a mountain?
What is stopping you from that? If you read about Mt. Everest all day long, you won't start at all. If you choose an easier place, you can start today. So, try to find a nearby hill and climb it, and keep going until you find yourself at the top.
Fear will accompany you all the time, but if you progress slowly and patiently, you can often ignore the fear.
Do you want to run a marathon?
Legend has it that marathon runners are the healthiest and most elite athletes in the world. It's true for marathon winners, but not true for us. So, try to run just a mile. If you can't, try to run half a mile. And if you can't, just walk in the neighborhood a bit.
Do you want to travel around the world?
The fear of traveling is enormous until you actually do it. This is because the idea of going to a strange place and finding yourself in a strange land without any idea of how to survive is very scary until you actually do it. One day you will get to the farthest corners of the earth.
But right now your task is clear and simple, which is to get in a plane, car, boat or train, and go anywhere you want. In the end, you will find that your fear was meaningless.
Do you want to start a business?
You're going to have to sell something. Making your first sale is one of the most difficult things you'll ever do, but it will also be one of the most rewarding.
There is a lot of advice on tough tasks that you have to complete before you can call yourself a "business owner". However, the truth is that all you have to do is sell something and keep some money from selling it. Don't underestimate the effort it will take - It's not easy - but it's not very difficult either. If you can make $1, you can make $1000 too.
In conclusion:
After that first concert I had in years, I continued to play to more audiences, and joined a band for a while. It was a lot of fun. However, even when I was enjoying more success, I never forgot that first hit at my first gig. I still remember it to this day.
The first step is the most important step you'll ever take. That fear you feel when you take your first steps is what makes lifelong stories.
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