Here’s one way to start the new year with a bang. Fearless and so confident you can do anything including something you’ve never done, like sing in front a crowd of your peers.
But first, let me say Happy New Year to all of you. This time of year most of us will make a list of resolutions or goals. I’m not making any of that today. Just wanted to share a mindset I hope to incorporate more into my life.
More, not every day, week, or everything that I do. Just… more.
Before I get into my why, let me share a story first. Just a few short hours after the ball dropped at midnight, I dropped the mic. Or maybe the ball.
I thought about not sharing because, well, this is a little embarrassing. But not sharing would be fearing some may ridicule or even judge me. The reality is, I had a great time and more importantly, I learned something about myself.
So here goes.
I was at a New Years Eve party hosted by my cousin. Like a good Haitian party, there was good Haitian and Latin music, a live band, DJ, plenty of alcohol, and delicious Haitian food. It was just around 3:00 a.m. and I was feeling the night and myself. And maybe some of the cocktails.
And the champagne toast. (New Years eve, remember?)
The band was going strong playing the best in Haitian Kompa which of course included some of Sweet Micky’s classics
For some reason (maybe that Champagne cocktail I was holding in my hand?), I convinced myself I was a good singer and could get on the mic and sing in Haitian Creole (which by the way, is nothing like the English based Jamaican Patwa as some people think it is).
There was still a good crowd. Maybe 20, 40 people? Mostly fluent speaking Haitians except for maybe four people.
All of a sudden, I have a bright idea. I’m going to sing with the band. Live! In front of everyone. So I tell my cousin standing next me that I’m about to get on the mic and sing.
The conversation went something like this.
Me: I’m going to go up and sing!
Her: Sing what?
Me: This song!
Her: Are you kidding? You don’t know anything about singing in front of a crowd!
Me: I know this song, I love it! It’s all good.
Her: Are you sure? You can’t sing.
Me: Yes I can, watch me!
Her: You can’t sing!
Me: Yes it is, no big deal. Watch me!
I handed her my cell phone because I also thought recording my singing debut would be a great idea. I just knew I was going to blow the crowd away. I make my way through the crowd pumping my hands like it’s about to go down. The crowd gets hyped up. They cheer me on which only gets me even more excited.
I’m wearing this sparkly black jumpsuit and I’m thinking about how I about to sing on the mic and wearing the perfect outfit to do it. I’m still pumping my shoulders and dancing. It’s hype time!
I finally make it up front and the lead singer gives me the mic. He’s all excited, the band is excited.
I’m excited.
The band stops singing but the melody continues with the instruments. I look at the keyboardist, the guy on the guitar. I’m smiling, they are smiling.
I tap the mic. Make sure it’s working.
This gets the crowd more hyped up. They just know I’m about to sang. Someone with this much confidence knows what she’s doing.
I tap the mic again. The hook comes around I say nothing just smile and feel the music, swaying to the beat like Adele.
The band loops the song again and the lead singer smiles at me. I figure that’s my final cue.
I semi whisper the hook into the mic and I think the crowd gets hype again. I say the hook again, louder this time. Maybe even a third time. Finally I realize it’s time to exit stage left. I look around and I see everyone still cheering and supporting me.
I kind of throw my hands in the air like, “I don’t know!”
Then I strut off, back into the crowd and start dancing again. Everyone, including myself, starts laughing and that was it. The party went on.
The next day, my cousins and I all had a good laugh retelling the story. I found the video. All 7 minutes and 43 seconds of it. We watched it, laughed some more, and the jokes continued. Me walking up to the “stage,” me tapping the mic.
I’m not sure what I was thinking at the time I decided singing in front of a crowd of people in a language I’m not fluent in was no big deal. But I know I had all the confidence in the world when I decided to do it. And my confidence got everyone excited and believing in me. Any fear I should have had was no where to be found. Instead, I was hyped up, excited, ready to take the song on and having a good time. I know that if I even knew half the words I would have sang my heart out and enjoyed every moment even if I sounded terrible. (And I would have sounded terrible.)
Since it IS the new year, I suppose I’m going to resolve to being my own hype woman and being more fearless and confident. There have been plenty of times that I have talked myself out of something because I was scared I would mess up, or wasn’t qualified, or just wasn’t enough. So for 2016, I’m going to try and tackle more things like this. All the scary, nerve wracking things that come my way. I can’t promise I’ll be singing again but at least I can say I have crossed that off my bucket list!
Will you join me in being fearless and confident in 2016?
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