There's This Show Called The Voice...

You may have heard of it.  And I might be auditioning for it.

Well, I am auditioning for it.  In fact, as you are reading this (as long as it is still Saturday) I am either waiting to audition, auditioning or done auditioning.

Before you get super excited and start programming your TV to record the show, let me clarify that this is the Open Call Auditions... and you have to make it through that to get a call back, and if you make it through the call back then you get to go to LA and be on the show itself.

I'm realistically not expecting to get past the open calls. Yeah, I think I have a pretty good voice, but I know that I'm no where near the level of some of the incredibly talented performers I've listened to on the show.  But I'm giving it a shot anyhow, because why not?

I've brushed off singing most of my life as something that I really enjoy doing, but something I'm not good enough at to ever do more with than sing in the church choir.  Sure I have this dream of  performing and maybe have a small concert or two someday, or a nice following on YouTube, but that's all it would ever be is a dream, because I'm not good enough for that.

Then in class one day, my teacher said something that struck a chord.  She said one thing that she thinks when she looks back at her life, is that she wishes she'd given herself a lot more credit.

And that made me think how I tend to downplay what I'm good at, and what I'm capable of.  I don't give myself much credit for anything.  You might get me to admit that I'm good at something, but I'll always follow it up with "but I'm not as good as that person".

So it made me think, "well, how do I know I'm not good enough to perform?  No one has ever told me that I'm a bad singer, or that maybe I should write poetry instead of singing." (Which I do write poetry, and I am pretty good at that.)  Who am I to say that I'm not a good enough singer? Who am I to decide before I've even tried that I'm not good enough to get on the Voice?

And that's why I'm going into Chicago today, to give it a shot.  I'm not expecting great things, but I'm leaving myself open to the hope that something crazy might happen. And if it doesn't, I'm okay with that too.  There is always the next time.