Finding Myself Again

At just eight years old, I started taking piano lessons, drawn by the allure of melody and the promise of creating something beautiful.

For the next five years, the piano became my refuge, a place where the outside world melted away and only the notes mattered.

But everything changed one fateful day. After my weekly piano lesson, I walked back to my classroom, sheet music in hand for the song Santa Monica by Australian pop duo Savage Garden.

As I bent down to place the sheet music in my school bag, the boy sitting next to me glanced at the title of the song and asked excitedly, is that Santa Monica by Everclear!? (a great song by the 90’s rock band).

When I shared no, it’s by Savage Garden, the boys excited look turned to disgust. That look of disdain on the boy’s face stung like a dart, and in that moment, a seed of doubt was planted.

As I rode the school bus home to the farm, I couldn’t shake the feeling of rejection.

As I walked inside I said to mum “I don’t want to learn piano anymore,” my voice trembling with the weight of my decision. She didn’t argue; she could see the hurt in my eyes.

I didn’t play a single note for two excruciating years.

They were two of the toughest years of my life. In my effort to fit in, I completely lost himself, burying my passion and conforming to what I thought was expected of me. I slowly lost sight of the vibrant boy I once was. The passion that had once filled my days faded, replaced by an aching void.

Then one afternoon, as I walked past the dusty piano on the way to my bedroom, something shifted. It was a subtle pull, like the gentle whisper of a long-lost friend. Compelled by an instinct I couldn’t ignore, I sat down, hesitating for a moment. My fingers brushed the keys, and as they did, a wave of warmth washed over me.

It was like coming home.?

I began to play, and with each note, memories flooded back—the joy of creation, the thrill of expression. In that moment, the darkness of the past two years began to lift, replaced by a spark of inspiration.

With newfound clarity, I poured my heart into my music, and soon, the first song I ever wrote emerged. Within the lyrics was: “Follow Your Heart, It Will Take You Where You Want.”

Those lyrics became my anthem, a declaration of independence from the judgment that had silenced me. With every chord I struck, I rediscovered my identity—Cameron Atlas, not just a boy at the piano, but a storyteller and a dreamer.

From that day on, I vowed never to let anyone dim my light again. Music became my North Star, and I embraced it fiercely, knowing that following my heart would always lead me home.

I can't imagine where my life would be without music... I've delivered many keynotes around the world with live music on stage, wrote the soundtrack for my viral nature video that led to me becoming a National Geographic Explorer, delivered a TEDx talk in Rome in front of 1,500 people with a grand piano on stage and much more.

It's pretty wild when I look back.

So the question for you - where are you dimming your own light over truly challenging what's possible?... really challenge yourself here (I continue to do so), knowing there's always another level.

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About The Author: Cameron Atlas delivers keynotes with a grand piano and guitar on stage, blending live music with powerful insights on Leadership, Peak Performance, Creativity & Innovation. To learn more, visit: cameronatlas.com/meeting-professionals