Written by: Raeesa Mahomed, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
When I was 21 years old and didn’t really know much about anything, I changed my life through the power of self-belief, and I didn’t even know what I was doing. Here is what happened:
Once upon a time...
I need to give you a little bit of background first. I was always interested in acting and performing. I took Speech and Drama as my majors for my BA degree, which is unusual. I am a South African of Indian origin, and Indian parents around the world generally only want their children to be doctors or lawyers (bless them). Still, I only wanted to do something in performance and entertainment, and my supportive parents let me do it (they probably just wanted some peace). Then I saw an advertisement that the national cable television channel was looking for an anchor for their ‘Indian bouquet.’ This was apartheid, South Africa. There were no Indians on television, which white presenters dominated. It was a totally new field, but something instinctively told me that this was what I was meant to do, that I would be perfect for this position.
Thanks, but no thanks.
I applied with an audition tape (yeah, it was a long time ago) and got a polite rejection letter within a week. No reason. I guessed it was probably because they wanted the anchor to be Johannesburg, and I lived in Durban, an hour’s flight away. I was so convinced, though, that I was the right person for this job that I could not leave it at that. I called the offices of the channel and asked to speak to the Executive Producer. I finally got to speak to him a few days later after nagging a few people. He was curt. I told him he sent me a rejection letter because he hadn’t listened to my tape. There was silence. “What do you mean?” he said. I replied, “With respect, Mr. X, if you had listened to my audition, you wouldn’t have sent me a rejection letter.” More silence. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll get back to you.” (Yeah, right).
But wait…
He actually got back to me after listening to my audition! The next day a local newspaper called me and did a front-page article (with huge color pic) as a contender for the job. A week later, I flew up to Johannesburg to do a live audition at the TV channel’s offices. The same EP personally told me that my audition was excellent, but unfortunately, they had to get someone based in Jo’burg as they did not want the expense of flying the presenter in to do links every week. I understood - as long as I had been given a chance to audition.
Miracles do happen.
A few weeks later, after the media had built up to a crescendo in this historical search for the first Indian presenter on TV, the EP called me personally to tell me I had got the job. So let’s just understand this: I got the job out of 700 auditions when they didn’t want someone based in my city (because of the added expense) after originally getting a rejection letter. The media went wild. I was on the front, the middle, and back page of every major (and minor) newspaper in the country and quite a few magazines.
Moral of the Story
I so strongly believed in my abilities that I refused to take a ‘no’ from a major cable TV network. I didn’t think about what I was doing – I just did it because I felt so strongly - in my gut and every fiber of my being. I didn’t let the fact that it was a totally new and unknown field deter me. And that belief is what got me that job that 700 people had auditioned for and which launched my broadcasting career that lasted decades in TV, radio, and film.
Not all plain sailing.
I have had lots of very low moments since then. I fell many times and learned some hard and difficult lessons. I’ve had to pick myself up and dust myself down and start again. And I had excruciating self-doubt and felt hopeless. But I remembered that original self-belief clung to it (and my faith in God) and forged on to new highs.
Why am I telling you this?
Not to blow my own trumpet (really) or tell you about how fantastic I am. It’s to tell you that every one of you can do exactly the same if you allowed yourself to truly believe in your abilities and ignore everything or the person who tried to persuade you otherwise. Everyone has a talent and ability that is special and unique. You just need to believe in it, nurture it and act on it. And keep doing it, over and over. Never give up, never give in.
The power of belief.
There is a reason why beliefs are so powerful and can make anything happen. But that is another article on its own, which I will talk about next time. Until then, make it happen.
Want to learn more from Raeesa? Follow her Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and visit her website. You can also email her at info@raeesamahomed.co.za.
Raeesa Mahomed, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Raeesa Mahomed is a transformational life coach and her tagline 'Be the best you' aptly describes the results she gets with her clients. Raeesa has helped hundreds of clients remove negative programming from the subconscious mind and take them to a place of positivity and empowerment and in so doing create the life they want. She comes from a decades-long award-winning international career in radio, TV, and film, and her path to deep self-reflection and life coaching began when she faced a life-threatening illness a few years ago. She now also helps others heal from disease by addressing their emotional health and spirituality. She is also a writer and motivational speaker.
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