I like my life but for the sake of the question:
I've always been drawn to the arts. I'd be a musical composer OR a broadway actor/ballerina, I guess. I played the clarinet for a decade and some years. Playing an instrument is like pulling beauty out of the air. It's otherworldly.
So...singing/entertaining, for me, is closely related to this. To create 'art' and then perform onstage before a large crowd is an electrifying experience.
Ten years is nothing. Standard. Most folk give up a comparable amt in pursuit of their degrees. To make career moves. Few people with any degree of success had it handed to them.
I don't want to be a 'star', though. Would never. That's why I'd never want to be a 'top-selling female artist' in the mainstream. The only reason.
Give me the money and accolades; f the fame. I don't want everyone to know my name. I don't want to be recognized.
To be honest, I don't understand how people deal with 'fame', let alone crave it.
I don't envy celebrities. I feel sorry for them.