Hopping over the Rabbit Hole

Conclusion: I Am Enough

“The successful man is not so superior in ability as in action.”

—Roger Babson

Are you nervous?” my friend asked.

“Nervous?” I replied, looking out at the field as my daughter, Amelia, walked up to the mound. “No, I’m excited!”

That was only half true. I was terrified, but in a good way. I was excited, nervous, thrilled, exhilarated, and scared . . . all at the same time.

My beautiful daughter, Amelia, was marching to home plate at Shea Stadium to sing “God Bless America” for the seventh-inning stretch. It was July 27, 2008, and I was giving her the ultimate gift. I’m not talking about the opportunity to sing at Shea. It was something better. At the age of 12 she was learning a great lesson about overcoming your fears.

Like many young women, my daughter wants to be a professional entertainer. The difference is how seriously she takes her talent. She works at her craft 24/7. She practices all the time with voice and singing coaches, studying other singers the way law students prepare for the bar exam. But like a lot of young people, she occasionally gets nervous in front of big crowds. I wanted to help her conquer that fear and give her the gift of self-confidence. If she could nail “God Bless America” in front of 50,000 people, she would never lack the poise to perform in front of a crowd again.

“You have a great voice. You want to do this for a living.” I told her one day. “I’m going to get you in front of the crowd at Shea Stadium, and you’re going ...