Endless Possibilities

By Dorothy J. Hill

Did you know that in this world, the possibilities are endless? There is just about nothing that you can’t do. I knew this, but I didn’t know it, ya know? It’s something that I always say to myself and others but I guess I never really fully believed it for myself. You can do anything you are capable of.

As I have been approaching the end of my undergraduate journey, I have been coming to a lot of different realizations, epiphanies and revelations about my life and life in general. During this, there has also been a lot of stress experienced. It’s gotten so bad to the point where I just didn’t want to do anything where school was concerned. Then comes the logical part, “But you’re so close to the end…What are you doing?!” People call it senioritis, but I call it something else. I had to turn things around, and quickly. Here I was, in class for a typical day, but then it wasn’t so typical. I was overly emotional that day. Things had just built up internally and I had not taken the time to relax and express how I felt to those it applied to. It was bad.

After a good cry and explanation of my frustrations, yet another of the same suggestion came about. “You should visit Counseling Services.” Huh? What? I don’t want to go there. I don’t want to feel as though there is something wrong with me. All I have ever heard were not so nice things about counseling or psychiatry. But, just as I was told, and then realized and understood for myself, was that it’s not even about that at all. It really is just an external source from all of those that you feel will not necessarily provide the feedback you need for that moment in time. So, I went ahead and paid a visit to the Counseling and Career Services Center.

Now, to be honest, I was only going to go for career counseling because with many of the situations I have experienced within the past few weeks alone has caused me to wonder, “What am I going to do with my life?” I am at a lost, up in the air about everything. What am I to do? What do I want to do? I don’t know. My world was shaken because like I said before, I had this set in a plan. It wasn’t etched in stone, but I was fairly confident that I would be able to swing it. The reality of the situation though is that I was not able to. It just isn’t for me right now. So, I have to find an alternate route that will help me to find happiness in my life.

After sitting and conversing with a career counselor about my options, I was taken back by the number of things we covered and there are some wonderful possibilities. I still don’t know what I want to do, and it has just become more of a difficult task because I have more options. Now, I would think that would make things easier, but it doesn’t, because I would be great at anything I do. It is just a matter of choosing what will fit me best at this point in my life. I have given some consideration to much of what was discussed but I have been rather fearful to initiate the step to go into it. I guess I have been a little hesitant because I don’t want to hear no, but that is the worse that could be told to me. It’s not like I haven’t heard it before. The only difference is that was then, this is now. I am in a different place mentally, emotionally, psychologically, and most importantly professionally. I have set a high bar for myself to reach and my options will help me achieve it.

As it stands now, I am most of these things, but it would be more of a solidified decision and understanding later. Nonetheless, I could become an educator, an academic advisor, a licensed clinical personal counselor, a high school counselor, an entrepreneur, a manager, a supervisor, anything. I could pursue higher education at the graduate level or music or business…anything. The possibilities are endless and sometimes it does help for someone to help you to see that. There are things that you may see in yourself that others do not see and then there are things that others may see in you that you may not see in yourself. You have the potential to do anything, so live like it and take advantage of your strengths.

Dorothy J. Hill is a senior from Chicago, IL. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance. Dorothy is a Student Ambassador and currently serves as the Training Coordinator at Saint Xavier.