As someone who had an early adolescent life dominated by bullying, I know firsthand how fear can be debilitating.
During those early teen years, my only sanctuary was the music room after school, where I could avoid being tied to a tree or gate. However, as my affection for music grew, especially for the drums, I came to realise that it was born purely from that initial feeling of fear.
It came to pass that whilst I was safe from the bullies, I had a new fear to deal with: the school production! As a pivotal part of the band, responsible for keeping the music alive, I was ready to walk on that first night…
But something profound happened. Something resonated with me and that was the words of my music teacher, Mr Glover. He said:
"If you walk away now, you will be walking away forever."
That struck a chord, to pardon the pun. But it made me the person I am today. Not fearful but resilient. I turned my fear into resilience, and believe me, you can do it too.
Fear is a natural response to uncertainty, risk and change. It can prevent us from taking necessary risks and stop us from growing and expanding our horizons. Turning fear into resilience means embracing the unknown and accepting that failure is a part of the journey. Resilience is the ability to bounce back from setbacks, adapt to change and recover swiftly from adversity.
Lessons learned early in life are often essential to overcoming challenges in business and personal life. The lesson that I learned from my music teacher has stayed with me and it has helped me build a successful business and life. The path to success is never easy and it's often fraught with challenges and obstacles. When we focus on building resilience, we can overcome those obstacles and achieve our goals.
Playing the drums is like living life. You start with uncertainty; however, when you embrace it and focus on building resilience, you can create something beautiful and impactful. Life is all about playing the drums - loud and creatively, for all to know you're here.
So, keep drumming, keep persevering and keep growing. The world needs your unique sound, your beat and your creativity.
This is me, talking about resilience with Blair Jacobs at the FEOHull Business Day in Bridlington on Friday 9th June 2023
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