real talk.

Can I be honest for a minute?

This evening, the music school that I work for had its "Year End Recital." All week I was actually really looking forward to it... yes, it may sound nerdy or lame...but I was excited for a music recital! I love my job. I love teaching other people music...so at the end of the year I LOVE sitting at the back of the sanctuary with a big smile on my face, proud of how far my students have come along. I don't type this to say "look at me, I'm a good teacher" - no - this is me pointing at the students, saying "look at how amazing they are because of all their hard work!" Tonight was all about them displaying their talent and giftings... and it was incredible.

However, as in most stories, there was a point of conflict. Not only am I a teacher for the music school, but I actually run the whole thing. I was the one who organized the recital... and I was the one who was supposed to mc the night as well. Emphasis on the supposed to.

As students and family members and friends piled into the sanctuary minutes before the recital was to start, it suddenly hit me. The show needed to start. I looked around searching for someone to get the show on the road...and then realized...everyone was waiting for ME to start it.  ...suddenly realizing that the spot light was on me made me nervous... I turned desperately to one of my friends and asked him to mc the night. Thankfully he was more than willing to... and the night was a great success.

End of the story? Naahh...your probably thinking...what's the point. What's Allison's little moral of the story this time... well...just a few moments ago I was surfing the interwebs and ran across this quote:

"The PROBLEM is that you are trying to fit IN, when you were born to STAND OUT."

How relevant is that quote with today's society? I think very...  Tonight was not about me backing out of mc-ing the night because I wanted to fit in... no, but tonight I was given the chance to stand out... to do something that would have challenged me and made me stronger...I could have once again faced my fear of public speaking... but instead, I did what so many others do...and I sat down and passed the torch on to someone else. Don't get me wrong, there is a time and a place to pass the torch...but when you find yourself in a situation where you know there is something that you need to do, something that will challenge you to the core and allow you to step out in faith... don't pass the torch in fear... step up. You were born to stand out. You are called to make a difference. 

Yes, I know... the recital wouldn't have been much different had I mc-ed it...the world would not have been changed in one night...BUT i would have been that much closer to conquering my fear of public speaking...which constantly hinders me from making a difference in peoples lives. 

It's nothing fancy. Just an observation and a little life lesson I learned tonight. Real talk yo.

So when you are given the opportunity...are you going to stand out?