As a little girl, I loved it when my mom came home and shared stories from work. I’d listen with wide eyes as she talked about how she, a psychotherapist, helped suicidal clients or grieving families overcome their issues. While my mom transformed lives, my admiration for her accomplishments developed into a desire to do the same.
It started with small things, such as holding the door open for others, or spending an extra minute to check in with friends going through rough times. These actions snowballed into a passion for helping others through teaching children, community service and simply listening to those who needed someone to talk to.
As senior year approached, I started hearing questions like “what do you want to major in?” or, “what do you want to be in the future?” I hadn’t thought about it much, but as more people began to ask, I began to respond with the first thing that popped up in my head: “a psychotherapist, just like my mom.” Even though I wasn’t certain, I began to believe it the more I said it. After joining the Peer Listeners program and taking AP Psychology, it seemed to match my personality and strengths. Being kind and helping others not only helps them, but also helps you feel good about yourself.
According to the dictionary, vision is “the ability to think about or plan the future with imagination and wisdom,” but there’s more to it. Your vision defines who you want to be, what you want to be known for and what you want to achieve. It pushes you towards self-improvement and motivates you to accomplish the goals you set your sights on.
Rather than simply becoming a psychotherapist, my vision is to be someone kind who helps others become happier and changes lives, one at a time. Your vision is your own and should change over time. Think about your values and what matters most to you, and how you can live a life with passion, purpose and joy.