Stanley loves his job; he does what he loves and what he trained for. Not everyone has the privilege of being able to make a living doing what they love. Many have no other option but to dedicate themselves to other things due to a lack of opportunities—you have to make a living somehow, right? But he was lucky enough to work in the music industry, exactly what he had trained for. He's been doing it for years now. During all that time, he's mostly danced and sung in live performances.
These aren't his own concerts; they're for other singers. He acts as an entertainer on stage, a dancer, and a backing vocalist. If he had to say what he's enjoyed most in those 10 years, he would easily say having the opportunity to be alongside the greats of music. Being a backing vocalist has allowed him to be side by side with the best, which is yet another privilege. He's proud of that. Also, since he's such a good dancer, he's often hired for singers' music videos—a double win.
Because on one hand, he can be side-by-side in concert before thousands of people with someone talented on the sidelines, and on the other hand, he appears in music videos, which gives him visibility and allows people all over the world to get to know him. Now that he's celebrating a decade of continuous work, he has nothing to regret because he's achieved many things that others haven't. But there's a problem.
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There is a problem. It's true that he doesn't regret his past; that much is clear because he's proud of it. But now that a decade has passed, he's seeing things differently. When he looks at his shelf at home where he keeps his awards and accolades, there aren't any for best album, best singer, or a viral song. They're all recognitions for doing good work in other people's careers and in his own projects. He himself has nothing to boast about. Although he's made a living from music all this time, he's done so for the musical growth of others.
He remains almost stagnant because what has he achieved beyond a little visibility? He doesn't have his own fans because of his music, since he doesn't have any. And being a background singer and accompanist, he'll surely be forgotten in a short time when he stops singing in a few years. So he feels overwhelmed seeing all this, a decade of work, but what is he supposed to be celebrating? He had to do something to feel better about himself. But that change wouldn't be easy, because a friend's example would make him rethink his feelings.
Stanley saw that one of his friends had left the same job he had to pursue a solo career, exactly what he wanted. This friend was even doing better than him, having sung alongside better singers. He had several more projects in the works to sing with other artists. The desire for change was so strong that he decided to leave all that behind. He quit his secure job and went to try his luck. He fared very poorly, didn't find success on his own, and returned empty-handed to where he was, filled with shame.
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Stanley was terrified by his friend's bad example, as he knew the same thing could happen to him. He had a secure job, and abandoning it could bring him the same shame of failure if things went wrong. Although he was very afraid, his desire to forge his own path and create his own personal brand prevailed. Stanley was smarter than his friend because instead of leaving his secure job, he decided to make a gradual transition, creating his own music without completely abandoning what he knew worked.
That way, even if he failed as an independent singer, he would still have a secure job. Stanley doesn't know if this new life project he wants to undertake will work, but he does know that life is short and you have to make the most of it. If you have the desire to achieve something and you know you can do it, don't postpone it because later it might be too late. He will try, and he knows that with his talent he will succeed; he will be remembered as a great singer.
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