Believe In Yourself and Chase Your Dreams

Have you been asked, as a small kid: “What job do you want to do when you are grown-up?” Or: “What do you want to do when you are an adult?” Or: “What job do you think you will do when you’re grown up?” I have been asked a million times.

My answer: “I want to be a violinist.” All these questions made me a bit crazy. That was my standard answer to these questions. Sometimes I said: “I don’t know yet.”

Then I got those popping up eyes from people: “You don’t know yet?” Yeah, I don’t know at that moment. I am just a kid of what age?! I was about eight years old. A small kid who just loves to play an instrument, who loves to play outside, and is just not thinking about her future. I was just being in the moment, having fun with friends.

Sometimes, I thought: ‘Why do you ask an eight-year-old little girl what she wants to do when she is a grown-up. I’m just eight-year-old.’ That made me worry about the generation that asked those questions. You have to be perfect from birth. You already know what you want to do - as a profession - when you’re still in the belly of your mom and tell the people when can't speak.

Violin lessons

Joking aside. Since I was a teenager, I knew I wanted to become a violinist. So, I applied for the best orchestras to participate in, and I applied – at the age of eighteen – to do an audition for the conservatory. I got wonderful violin lessons with a great teacher at the Conservatory of Zwolle at the age of fourteen or fifteen. Unfortunately, the judges told me that I probably didn’t finish my education because I was pregnant. But I hear this via others.

Now, I am at the beginning of my thirties, and I still want to become a violinist. I know I had the right education, and I also have the knowledge to be a good violinist. This is my dream since a very young age. I love playing the violin, I love classical music from the bottom of my heart, it is my passion. I went to concerts since I even could talk.

Since I was a teenager, I have participated in diverse music projects: playing with a project orchestra in the Concertgebouw twice to playing in The Youth Orchestra of The Netherlands and playing in my current orchestra. I always think: ‘What project do I really want to participate in?’

Writing and poetry

Then, in 2016, I found Medium, an online writing platform. I needed to look up something online, and an article from Medium came up. I was hooked immediately by how well-written this piece was.

I loved the clean interface of this platform. I created an account for this site. I wrote something on there, but I never thought I would write often.

Until 2019: I decided it was time to write more often to develop my writing skills.

Music again

Since last year, I decided to chase my musical dream again. I haven’t chased it until last year because of having children first. Now it is time to look into my future again. My musical future. I kept playing the violin. Even when I didn’t chase my dream, just to keep it up. Also, to develop my violinist skills.

I realized how much I still love playing the violin and how much I want to be a violinist. My dream didn’t fade away. I am in my early thirties, so this is my last chance. And you know what? I applied to do an audition.

I know what skills I have to improve and thus work on. Also, the joy of making music didn’t fade away.

Believe In Yourself and Chase Your Dreams

So, believe in yourself, what you can do, and what you love. You know what you want, you know what to work on, you know what fits in your lifestyle and is doing well for you.

Chase your dreams and still believe in yourself because you have one life that you need to fulfil with what you love to do as a profession.

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About the writer

Agnes Laurens is a writer. She writes for the local newspaper. Agnes lives in The Netherlands, with her husband and three daughters. You can find her on Vocal, Medium, Elephant Journal, HubPages, Music List. Writing is — aside from playing the violin — one of her passions since childhood. She is on Twitter and Instagram. You can subscribe to my mailing list, and you can subscribe to my Thoughts. Check out her books. She has an online web store, and she has a merchandise store. If you want to be informed about my online store and my merch, please follow this link.