So lately, I've been doing a lot of self-evaluation as well as trying to figure out how I can better use my gift of wanting to help people as a potential way of having a career.
I believe this started when I was very young when I asked my parents why they named me, "Sasha" They told me that it was because they loved the name and that its translation from Russian is "Helper and Protector of mankind.
I truly loved that explanation and I believe that I am meant to help and protect those people who are part of my life, whether that's as a friend or family
I've always been that person that people gravitate towards when they are in "times of trouble" to quote John Lennon. It doesn't matter what their trouble may be, I'll always try and help them to not only understand but to hopefully be able to find a solution.
For example, I can remember being in Boston Children's Hospital and in the pre-op waiting room and across from the bed I was in, was a little boy who was crying and scared. I remember just looking across the room and smiling at him, and he looked at me and smiled back. He was called back to have his procedure, but before he left his mom who didn't speak much English, said "Thank you, you made my boy smile"
There are many other examples of times, where I have just been able to without really thinking or understanding why I do it, I just try and help. When I was working as a counselor at a youth theatre camp, my job was to talk to each and every camper and make sure that they were doing "okay" and that if they had any issues, I was to talk with them and attempt to help relieve those pressures and stresses.
This continued to when I was a senior member of the Teen theatre group back in the Upper Valley, where there were times when the director would just look at me and say, "I think they just need someone to talk to" I knew exactly what she meant and I would go over and just ask, " is everything okay" Do you want to talk?" I am here to listen. Most often they would open up to me and we would have a conversation where they would just open up and tell me what was on their respective minds.
It was during this time I realized that I wanted to study Education with a concentration in Special Ed. Sadly, once entering the Education program, I realized there were a couple of obstacles in my way. I didn't have any form of transportation so I would be unable to go to schools and observe and work with the kids. The other obstacle was that I didn't think teaching was for me. So sadly my interest in Special Education never came to fruition and I changed my major to Psychology with a concentration in Behavior.
I learned a lot as a Psychology major and while it took more years and time than I would have ever imagined. Yet it was just two years ago, I was able to finally achieve one of my personal goals of earning my AA Degree with a concentration in Psychology.
So now I have a degree, which is great but yet it doesn't really help me with this new reality of finding jobs.
This is where I've been doing a lot of thinking and I've come up with multiple ideas including trying to find a way to become a certified "Life Coach" or as many people have suggested being a "Motivational Speaker".
The reasons for these two particular potential careers is that, throughout my life, I've faced obstacles which may or may not have seemed impossible to overcome, yet I was able to find a way to jump over them.
From very early on in my life I had to deal with multiple surgeries to repair birth defects including bi-lateral club feet, a cleft lip and partial cleft palate along with other issues. Yet, ever since I was little and had casts on my feet from surgeries there was an underlying determination in me that I wouldn't let this casts stop me, and they didn't. I would continuously smash them together leading to them being duct-taped together.
This example I believe shows the determination that even at a very young age showed that I would NEVER give up and that even if I faced difficult times I would always try and find a way to persevere and overcome whatever was in my way. A more recent example is when I attended a Professional Umpire school in 2013. Within the first two weeks I had injured my left knee and while I was forced to miss time due to the injury, I never let it stop me, and thought I had to sit out two weeks, I still went on to complete the six week course and graduate as a member of the Wendlestedt School. (unbeknownst to me at the time, and it wasn't until I came back to Vermont and got Xrays and an MRI did I learn that I had actually partially torn my patella tendon and had a small stress fracture in my tibia)
So, this leads me back to wanting to become either a life coach or a motivational speaker. I face many obstacles which I will not mention on here which could make these potential goals difficult to achieve. Yet I am not going to give up. I believe that I will figure out a way to continue to help those who ask for it and I will likewise continue to try and pursue these dreams.
I'll end this post with two things. 1 Is the video of Jim Valvano's ESPY speech which Is I believe one of the best motivational, powerful, and inspirational speeches."Jim Valvanoe ESPY speech
Don't Give Up, Don't Ever GIVE UP"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuoVM9nm42E
The second is one of a quote that I have tattooed which is from the William Ernest Henley poem, Invictus. " I am the Master of my Fate and the Captain of my Soul."
I believe this started when I was very young when I asked my parents why they named me, "Sasha" They told me that it was because they loved the name and that its translation from Russian is "Helper and Protector of mankind.
I truly loved that explanation and I believe that I am meant to help and protect those people who are part of my life, whether that's as a friend or family
I've always been that person that people gravitate towards when they are in "times of trouble" to quote John Lennon. It doesn't matter what their trouble may be, I'll always try and help them to not only understand but to hopefully be able to find a solution.
For example, I can remember being in Boston Children's Hospital and in the pre-op waiting room and across from the bed I was in, was a little boy who was crying and scared. I remember just looking across the room and smiling at him, and he looked at me and smiled back. He was called back to have his procedure, but before he left his mom who didn't speak much English, said "Thank you, you made my boy smile"
There are many other examples of times, where I have just been able to without really thinking or understanding why I do it, I just try and help. When I was working as a counselor at a youth theatre camp, my job was to talk to each and every camper and make sure that they were doing "okay" and that if they had any issues, I was to talk with them and attempt to help relieve those pressures and stresses.
This continued to when I was a senior member of the Teen theatre group back in the Upper Valley, where there were times when the director would just look at me and say, "I think they just need someone to talk to" I knew exactly what she meant and I would go over and just ask, " is everything okay" Do you want to talk?" I am here to listen. Most often they would open up to me and we would have a conversation where they would just open up and tell me what was on their respective minds.
It was during this time I realized that I wanted to study Education with a concentration in Special Ed. Sadly, once entering the Education program, I realized there were a couple of obstacles in my way. I didn't have any form of transportation so I would be unable to go to schools and observe and work with the kids. The other obstacle was that I didn't think teaching was for me. So sadly my interest in Special Education never came to fruition and I changed my major to Psychology with a concentration in Behavior.
I learned a lot as a Psychology major and while it took more years and time than I would have ever imagined. Yet it was just two years ago, I was able to finally achieve one of my personal goals of earning my AA Degree with a concentration in Psychology.
So now I have a degree, which is great but yet it doesn't really help me with this new reality of finding jobs.
This is where I've been doing a lot of thinking and I've come up with multiple ideas including trying to find a way to become a certified "Life Coach" or as many people have suggested being a "Motivational Speaker".
The reasons for these two particular potential careers is that, throughout my life, I've faced obstacles which may or may not have seemed impossible to overcome, yet I was able to find a way to jump over them.
From very early on in my life I had to deal with multiple surgeries to repair birth defects including bi-lateral club feet, a cleft lip and partial cleft palate along with other issues. Yet, ever since I was little and had casts on my feet from surgeries there was an underlying determination in me that I wouldn't let this casts stop me, and they didn't. I would continuously smash them together leading to them being duct-taped together.
This example I believe shows the determination that even at a very young age showed that I would NEVER give up and that even if I faced difficult times I would always try and find a way to persevere and overcome whatever was in my way. A more recent example is when I attended a Professional Umpire school in 2013. Within the first two weeks I had injured my left knee and while I was forced to miss time due to the injury, I never let it stop me, and thought I had to sit out two weeks, I still went on to complete the six week course and graduate as a member of the Wendlestedt School. (unbeknownst to me at the time, and it wasn't until I came back to Vermont and got Xrays and an MRI did I learn that I had actually partially torn my patella tendon and had a small stress fracture in my tibia)
So, this leads me back to wanting to become either a life coach or a motivational speaker. I face many obstacles which I will not mention on here which could make these potential goals difficult to achieve. Yet I am not going to give up. I believe that I will figure out a way to continue to help those who ask for it and I will likewise continue to try and pursue these dreams.
I'll end this post with two things. 1 Is the video of Jim Valvano's ESPY speech which Is I believe one of the best motivational, powerful, and inspirational speeches."Jim Valvanoe ESPY speech
Don't Give Up, Don't Ever GIVE UP"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuoVM9nm42E
The second is one of a quote that I have tattooed which is from the William Ernest Henley poem, Invictus. " I am the Master of my Fate and the Captain of my Soul."
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