A vision or goal will get you in trouble. It will stretch your capacity and expose your weaknesses. But the one willing to pay the price to do it, embrace the learning curve, and be humble again about the process will be rewarded. That's why I call it 'rewarding trouble,' where the journey becomes a source of motivation and personal development.

If a vision or goal doesn't stretch your capacity, it is just a regular daily life. A vision will cost you something and expose things that you may not like.

There is a saying, "Focus on your strength and not your weakness." That's true! But even though we tend to focus on our strengths, we still need to deal with areas where we lack them.

Do you see it as a weakness? Or as a thing that can still be improved? It looks the same, but it's not. The difference is in your response to it. You accept weakness as it is; there is nothing that you can do anymore. Or see it as an opportunity to embrace that weakness and try your best to be better.

When I recorded my first debut music, I wrote a wordy song in English, which is not my native language. It means I need people who can help me oversee the grammar, context, and pronunciation. It doesn't offend me when people appoint the wrong things in the lyrics. I even asked more about what else I needed to fix or improve. Grammar is the easy part.

But pronunciation? It is a different ball game. It takes a lot of effort, learning, and training. In Europe, we can hear people speak English (or Dutch) with different accents, and that's okay. It's a melting pot of cultures and nations. However, I want to enhance my pronunciation skills if I want to upgrade my end result. Therefore, I need a coach. In other words, I must be ready to get 'into trouble' with tons of homework and practice.

Every day, I need to submit a voice note to be corrected. Sometimes, I don't even know what the difference is, but my coach helps me find a way to explain and train me so I can do it. The coach does not look at my weaknesses to knock me down but to discover my weaknesses and help me level up. Yes, it becomes a learning curve and definitely stretches my capacity, but all that 'trouble' is worth it.

It's humbling to embrace the things that you lack and turn them into something beyond your ability. You may look like a fool because you may not know what to do or how to do things. You may not be perfect or as good as other people did it. The goal is not perfection but to bring the best out of you. Your effort matters. Do you do your best to reach that vision? Are you ready for the 'trouble'? It's rewarding!

Thank you, Coach Nina and Martha, for your patience and support. I couldn't have done it without you.

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