I feel like before music, I didn't really know what I wanted to

Rod Wave, a modern bard who sings of struggle and redemption, once confessed: “I feel like before music, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I didn’t know where I was going to end up. I was scared to even have people depending on me.” These words, though spoken softly, echo with the gravity of ancient truth. They reveal the plight of every soul before it finds its calling: the wandering, the fear, the shadow of uncertainty, and the dread of carrying responsibility. But within his testimony lies the revelation that art, purpose, and truth can lift a person from despair into destiny.

The ancients knew this journey well. Heroes often began in confusion, lost in the wilderness of doubt. Moses wandered in exile before leading his people; Siddhartha searched through suffering before becoming the Buddha; Odysseus longed for home before he found his way through endless trials. Before the path is revealed, the heart trembles at its own emptiness. Rod Wave speaks in this same tradition: before music, he stood at the crossroads, afraid, without vision, uncertain of his worth.

Yet when he found music, he found a compass. It became not only his craft, but his salvation. What had once been shapeless anxiety turned into songs that gave voice to his pain and strength to others. In this we see the ancient law: that when a person finds their true calling, fear transforms into fuel, and burdens turn into blessings. The weight of people depending on him, once a terror, became an honor—because music gave him the strength to carry it.

Consider the story of Maya Angelou. Before she became the poet and voice of a people, she too was silent, broken by trauma, unsure of her place in the world. Yet when she discovered the healing power of words, her path was illuminated. What was once fear became power, and her art lifted not only herself, but generations. So too with Rod Wave: what was once a source of dread—the eyes of others upon him—became his source of strength, because through music, he could give something real, something lasting, something that nourished the souls of others.

The meaning of his words is clear: before purpose, life feels like chaos. Without direction, the future is a storm, and the idea of responsibility feels crushing. But when you discover the work that is truly yours, the path unfolds before you. The same weight that once felt unbearable becomes the very thing that strengthens your back. Fear dissolves when purpose is found.

The lesson for us is profound. Each person must seek that which gives their life shape. For some, it is music; for others, it may be teaching, healing, building, or creating. Without it, the heart will always tremble at the thought of the future. With it, even the heaviest burdens can be borne. Seek your calling not in haste, but with courage, and when you find it, embrace it, for it will carry you where fear once threatened to destroy you.

Therefore, let each soul reflect: what is my music? What is the craft, the gift, the fire that transforms my fear into strength? Do not run from responsibility, but find the purpose that makes responsibility sacred. Begin by listening to your own spirit, by honoring what moves you deeply, and by daring to give it voice. For in that act, you will transform confusion into clarity, fear into courage, and emptiness into destiny.

Thus Rod Wave’s words endure not only as confession, but as teaching: before music, he was lost; with music, he was found. And so it is with us all—when we find our calling, we are no longer afraid of others depending on us. Instead, we rise with strength, for we finally walk the path that was always ours to tread.