Drawing An Allegory
There are some songs that stay with us not because we fully understand the technicalities of the music, but because something about them touches our inner being in a quiet way. I am not a musician, so I have zero idea about vocal arrangements, production or composition to describe why a song works the way it does.
Let me explain. When I first heard "DNA (More Than A Game)" and later watched EJAE sing it on a global stage with Andrea Bocelli, I felt unexpectedly happy for her. It was not the kind of happiness you feel when listening to a good song. It felt more personal than that, even though I do not know her personally and our lives are completely different.
I was happy for her because her moment felt like she finally received the global recognition she deserves. It made me realise things about talent, timing, platforms, and the years a person can spend working hard before the world finally acknowledges them.
Perhaps that is why her story resonated with me. It is a familiar allegory: you can work hard within a system and still feel unseen. You can keep showing up, improving, and believing that the next opportunity might come, but in the end, you realise that effort alone does not always guarantee visibility.
Sometimes, I believe the issue is not that we lack ability. Perhaps we are simply being on a platform that does not know what to do with us.
The Platforms That I Have Been On
Some years ago, I was part of an environment that spoke often about growth, leadership, and personal development. In those spaces, I learned, worked hard, stretched myself, and gave what I could based on the season of life I was in. But there were times when my effort just did not translate into visibility. To me, visibility means being given the room and opportunity to grow. I knew I was capable, but I felt underused.
Then, when I re-entered the corporate world, although I was doing the work and carrying the weight, I did not have the leverage to be placed where those strengths could be fully seen. Work and responsibilities continued. But deep down I was asking, if I really did my best and still was not seen, then what exactly was missing?
For a long time, I assumed the problem was me. I figured I was just not charismatic or outspoken enough, or good at playing the strategic game. It is so easy to turn disappointment inward and convince yourself that your lack of progress is just a 'personal growth' issue.
But over time, I see this may not always be true. I believe the reality is that not every workplace or environment is built to recognise everyone's strengths. Some places just value loudness, hierarchy, or constant self-promotion. They care about who is in the right room at the right time. Those might be valid traits, but they just aren't who I am.
When your actual strengths could not match what a specific platform happens to value, it is easy to confuse a bad culture fit with personal failure.
Finding My Place During My Master's Study
Eventually, I went back to university for my Master's degree at Sunway University. It wasn't about finding something groundbreaking, but it had since changed how I measured my own value. Suddenly, performing for corporate visibility didn't matter as much as how deeply I could think, analyse, and write.
That’s when things finally clicked for me. For the first time, the things I was naturally good at were actually recognised. Finishing with a Distinction (CGPA 3.85) was amazing, but the real shift was how my voice was received. My lecturer validated my proposed PhD topic had real potential. Beyond the classroom, I was also featured on my journey on Sunway University Online's Student Success page and video series (Choosing the Right Postgraduate Pathway; Not Just a Master's - It Made Me Better).
I realised my mind functions best in an environment that prioritises depth over loudness. I genuinely love connecting the dots, taking lived experiences, human behaviour and data, and figuring out what they reveal about larger systems.
For a long time, these traits just felt like overthinking, and they definitely didn't get immediate applause in corporate spaces. But during my Master's, they became my biggest strengths. It taught me that you don't always need to change who you are to grow; sometimes, you just need to find the right environment where your natural strengths actually make sense.
What The Song "DNA" Means to Me
This is why EJAE's DNA became more than a song to me. I know her life isn't my life, but her breakthrough performance reminded me of what happens when someone finally lands in the right place after years of unseen work.
It made me wonder if many of us spend years feeling like we are unsuccessful when the reality is just that we have been trying to shine in the wrong environment.
For a long time, I wanted to prove myself to the people and corporate spaces that overlooked me. Part of me will probably always have that instinct, because it is human nature to want old workplaces to realise you didn't lack potential. But I'm learning that I can acknowledge the sting of being overlooked without letting it drive my entire career.
A Different Plan for the Second Half of the Year
Entering July 2026 feels like the perfect time to reset. For the rest of the year, I want to be much more intentional about where I put my energy. I want to move toward spaces, like my Master's experience, where depth and thoughtfulness actually matter and where I don't have to constantly perform just to be valued.
I want to stop focusing on the doors that closed and start looking at the new possibilities quietly opening up. Maybe finding the right platform isn't about magically changing who you are. It is just about finding the place where the person you have always been is finally visible.
Some people stand out through performance or leadership. My strength has always been in thinking, writing, and analysing. If that is my personal "DNA", then that is exactly what I want to focus on moving forward.
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