Archive for month: July, 2015

In the very inspirational speech Steve Jobs gave to the 2005 graduates of Stanford University, he advised the fresh graduates: “Stay hungry, stay foolish.” For us here at World Stage, we believe in that same thing. We believe in creating F.O.O.L.ISH dreams and F.O.O.L.ISH dreamers because F.O.O.L.ISH dreams and not S.M.A.R.T. ones are the ones that brought people to the moon, created massive change, and rocked the whole world.

Now, there will always be hindrances in following your dreams. Some of which may be substantial things in your life you have to give up, incredible changes you have to adapt to, and of course, the people who wouldn’t be as supportive as those who fan your flame. But of course, those are not good reasons enough to stop aspiring for greater things. We only have one chance at this life. Better be a F.O.O.L.ISH dreamer than not a dreamer at all, right?

One of these F.O.O.L.ISH dreamers is Lance So, a young performer who was able to see past all the obstacles in achieving his dreams. He is currently a member of Vienna Boy’s Choir, one of the most prestigious choir groups in the world. Being the only Filipino recruited in the said group, he was able to give pride to the country apart from his family and friends. All that and he’s only eleven.

It’s Hard Before It Gets Easier

Of course, he wasn’t able to get to where he is now at a snap of a finger. He had many sacrifices and put in a lot of effort to become the success he now is. In an interview we had with Lance So, he mentioned that the biggest challenge he went through was leaving his family to be able to perform with Vienna Boy’s Choir. He said, “When I first arrived in Vienna, I called my parents each night. When I first got there, I thought that I have made a huge mistake, but after a while, I realized that if I have fun, time will go faster and I will see my parents as soon as possible.” He continued, “I know that there are plenty of pros and cons of leaving my home. But I know that taking this opportunity is a great thing that doesn’t happen to most people. In this journey, I have realized that my dream is starting.”

Apart from that, he also had to balance performing and touring with the choir group with his studies. Giving us a very detailed schedule of his daily activities, he gives time to honing his skills by practicing playing drums and singing without sacrificing his education. And of course, despite the hectic schedule, he still allots time for having fun. “In my free time,” he said, “I play the drums or practice my songs and sometimes, I play video games.”

Keeping the Fire Burning

The first step is always the hardest step to take but that doesn’t mean that after taking that leap of faith, you wouldn’t be facing any more challenges. It gets easier, yes. But getting to where you want to be wouldn’t necessarily be a piece of cake already. You still have some battles to overcome especially the ones with yourself. To continuously carry on, one has to fervently conquer his own battles: boredom, exhaustion, and of course, frustration.

Therefore, anchors that help you carry on are great motivators. For Lance, it’s his burning desire to bring happiness through his performances. He said, “Seeing other people happy makes me love what I am doing. What made me want to be a performer was watching other performers sing for other people. They always make people happy and I want to do the same.” He also said, “I would like to be remembered as the person that followed dreams and flew around the world to bring happiness to lots of people.”

And of course, the dream doesn’t stop there. Another thing that keeps him pushing forward is his dream to go around the world and explore different cultures. “I love seeing the differences in cultures around the world and the places I like the most,” he said “I would like to bring my family with me to these places.”

 

Fanning Other Flames

A truly inspirational dreamer, Lance So also shared a little bit of advice for young dreamers like him. “You must push everything to the side because good opportunities don’t come that often,” he continued, “If you have a dream and you have an opportunity like mine, then take that path.”

Apart from that, he mentioned that determination and drive are very much important. Including them as part of the formula for success in never a bad idea. You just have to keep pushing and keep the your fire ignited.

 

Lance So will be joining our upcoming camp this July 7-11, 2015. He mentioned that he’s looking forward to it, “I am sure it is going to be a great experience. What I am also looking forward to in this camp is meeting new friends.” We are looking forward to meeting you too along with the other campers, Lance!