TO AVOID CRITICISMS, SAY NOTHING, DO NOTHING AND BE NOTHING!
At the tender age of 10, Johan was touted to be one of the very best vocalists his generation would see. His vocal prowess was second to none, his age not withstanding.
By age 15, he was in high school and decided to audition for the school's annual talent show.
He was full of confidence to sail through the auditions and win the ultimate.
Contrary to expectations however, not even one of the three judges gave him a pass. As a matter of fact, they laughed heartily at him and used all manner of words to describe how terrible his voice was.
They even 'advised' him not to take up music as a career, if that's what he ever thought of doing, as he was never going to succeed at it!
Johan listened well, and very well indeed, and from that day, cussed never to sing again. He changed schools as well as course of study(from music), with the intention of starting all over again! Music which was once a passion, had became a great enemy. Johan sought to do just one thing, AVOID CRITICISM, and like Aristotle rightly said, "to avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing and be nothing"!
Johan became successful in his own way anyway. He became a banker and resorted to living quite a reserved life.
Several years had passed and the little music loving Johan was now a granddad who had taken up the task of helping his little granddaughter at her school's annual family night. Coincidentally, she had chosen to sing and that meant Johan was singing too(his first after sixty years). He cared little about what the out come was going to be as he sought only to make his granddaughter happy and "having some fun himself wasn't a bad idea", he thought.
The outcome was however unexpected, as Johan got every Tom, Dick and Harry present at the event teary eyed as they imagined how come such a great voice had been 'wasted'!
He recounted the events leading to him being estranged to music and had a simple advise to especially the younger ones present,"criticisms can make or break you, but the choice is always yours to make"!
Johan had spent all his life living a particular life because he wanted to avoid criticism and as such didn't make the impact he could have made. He allowed the criticism he received to break him!
True success is in finding what you love to do and doing it with everything you've got no matter the criticisms you receive!
Make An Impact!
Stay Blessed!
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