[nabs-l] What I Think I Want To Do...More Questions...

[Kerri Kosten]

Hi Everyone:

Last night, I did some more thinking. I believe I have come up with a
plan, and thought I'd share to get everyone's thoughts. I decided to
change the subject line.
The problem is I don't know what my passion is. I suffer from very
very low self-esteem and lack belief/confidence in myself. As I said
in my previous message, I have no problems doing things for someone
else, but when it comes to myself and what I want to do this is where
I majorly struggle.
My other problem is that because of lack of confidence when I think of
my interests I question myself and convince myself out of it. There is
a difference between just liking something and actually doing it for a
career and being good at it.
Maybe I just don't know what I am really good at.
Okay, here are my interests and potential career plan.
My interests are sports, braille, rehabilitation counseling,
rehabilitation teaching, journalism, reading, writing, and
communications.
Here is what I was thinking.
I really love sports. When I went to WVU before, I was a journalism
major because I thought I wanted to be a sportswriter.
I was thinking I'd finish my journalism degree. I say journalism
because I feel it could teach me a lot of transferable skills that
could help me in other areas and I could learn to become a better
writer. I could also try to better figure out whether I want to
actually be a sportswriter.
My top interests besides sports are rehabilitation counseling,
rehabilitation teaching, and braille. I figured if after I got my
journalism degree, I could get my master's in either rehabilitation
counseling, rehabilitation teaching, or teaching blind students.
I need to probably say I've never had any real experiences teaching,
but I am an excellent braille reader, and with there being such a
shortage with braille teachers I figure I could do something with
that.
The same with rehabilitation teaching. While I have no experience with
teaching, again, I do have skills and figure I could teach them.
I became interested in rehabilitation counseling when I joined the
NFB. I became very passionate about seeing blind people reach their
full potential and getting the training they need.
I also have severe hearing loss in addition to my blindness so I am
also passionate about seeing others who have severe hearing loss in
addition to blindness reach their full potential.
My problem is though, I have no trouble writing or speaking about
these interests but when it comes to doing things/taking action I
struggle and become nervous and lose confidence in myself and then
convince myself I can't do it.
I can talk the talk but when it comes to walking the walk I have no
idea and that is where I lose confidence in myself and become
negative.
Does what I wrote above sound like a good plan?
Do others struggle with this whole thing about being afraid and unsure
when it comes to taking action and convincing yourself you can't do
it?
In West Virginia, we do not have a community college. I live in the
same town as West Virginia University, which is the state landgrand
institution.
I am no longer in high school;I graduated in 2006.
Thanks so much for your input and thoughts!
Kerri