CareerConnect

Is it just me or does this summer hold the record as the shortest ever? Where. Did. It. Go??

Ah, no use focusing on the blink-of-an-eye speed of summer I suppose; let’s look ahead.

Before stepping into the role of student for the last or nearly-last time, it occurs to me you may need a boost of confidence. A lot rides on your final year(s) of school, after all, and it helps to enter the semester feeling empowered and prepared.

I want you to be comfortable and confident in yourself, knowing you are valuable, you are able to learn, you are a worthwhile friend, and you have areas of strength. You can work hard and succeed. You have grit and it’ll see you through another year of school.

So if a dose of self-confidence was on the school supply list, how could you go pick it up?

Foundations of Education (2nd ed, volume 1, ch. 6, by Tuttle and Tuttle) states that self-confidence increases when one is successful. But there’s more. Here’s the kicker: The book says self-confidence increases when you are successful in areas you care about!

Maybe it’s improving your physical fitness, learning to cook, creating artwork, creating a YouTube broadcast, learning more about a topic, getting involved in a community cause, joining a book club, hiking a trail, running a race, traveling or vacationing independently, joining a community sports league, planting a garden, or meeting new friends.

No matter your hobby or interest, turn your dream into a goal. Now move forward. You’ll fall and get back up; you’ll practice and practice and practice until you’ve accomplished it.

You’ll succeed and view yourself as capable of success.

Here’s how you’ll pull the blanket of self-doubt right off:

• You’ll know you are capable of success in school-goals with enough continued practice.
• You’ll be more accepting of yourself and your visual impairment. You won’t believe the lie that you “can’t do that because you are blind.” Instead, you’ll realize you often use a different approach than those with sight to achieve a desired outcome, but you are plenty capable nonetheless.

So over the next several weeks before school begins (and beyond!) take the time to train and succeed in (small, followed by large) goals related to your interests. You’ll get a dose of confidence with each success on your journey.

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