The VOICE of Persistence...

This just might be the most surprising opening to any article my leaders are ever going to read about me.

Ready for it?

I love singing!

Take it easy, Vaulters, singing will not be a profession, yet. For the time being it's a hobby. I'm sticking to the "hobby" story just in case senior management are reading this article ??.

Finding my voice

The journey to finding my voice started a long time ago, but alas, not in a galaxy far far away. My mother, as well as a?few others encouraged me to sing. Mom has always believed in?me; no scratch that, she's always believed in everything I've ever tried to do, which is something I truly admire.

"You're different, Nader", she would often tell me.?"You?have something different", I remember her telling me.

Mom wasn't referring to my voice itself, but that I should never stop pushing myself to create opportunities. The "opportunity" she was referring to at the time was that I express my feelings through song, plus she found it relaxing and enjoyable. Her words, not mine.

Back to me finding my voice, because this is what you're all clearly interested in...

As a youngster, I participated in many competitions. You name, I participated in them. From shows like Arab Idol to Star Academy, I took part. Thing is, I wasn't successful enough to reach the dizzying?heights of the finals in?those competitions,?but I persisted. Those who know me know that the?term?"never give up"?doesn't exist in?my?personal dictionary.??

Want to know a few more details about my?recent?singing career? Of course you do!

A few months back, I was washing my car, or should I say that I was washing Jana's (my wife) car. I heard an ad on "Habaeib FM" about a singing competition. Without any hesitation whatsoever, I recorded my voice and sent it in. For me, it was a no brainer, because there was nothing to lose.

A few weeks went by and I received a call that I had been selected on a shortlist of 9. I was super-excited, especially as over a thousand people in Qatar sent in their recordings. This was my first success ??!

My journey towards becoming a celebrity had commenced, and I was beaming!

"So, then, Nader, what happened?", I hear you thinking.

I reached the semi-finals! Okay, I didn't win, but the beauty, joy, excitement, and sheer confidence I got out of this experience was truly remarkable! All my friends tuned in, as well as a lot of people I didn't even know. They cheered me on, and I felt like I was on top of the world!

The fact that I went to a professional recording studio to record my voice was an experience I'll never forget! In fact, I could go as far to say that there are no words to describe my feelings of jubilation! To say I?had hit the highs of outer space faster than Elton's Rocket Man, or better yet, Richard Branson or Jeff Bezos without zero investment in an understatement!?

So, what's the moral of the story?

Don't quit.

Don't leave your passion at the door. You see, there's no harm in trying. You might not win, but keep at it! Keep persisting, for your persistence is in itself an achievement and no one can take that away from you!

Do I dream of the day where I produce my own song? Hell yeah!

So, I say this to all my fellow Commvault customers;?"You are eligible to hear me sing one song for you."?

That's right, I'll sing for you over Zoom, Teams, or in person! ??.

Hear me out !