Stepping on My Soapbox

In dance, everything is expected to be “full out.” Every toe touch has to hit the ceiling, every kick has to reach your head, and every turn has to be in sync with your fellow teammates and with the music. Being “full out” allows you as a dancer to discover personal problem areas within routines, work on what needs to be improved, and grow from there. After dancing for 13 years, I have found myself gradually implementing the same principle of doing things “full out” in my everyday life. If you do not live life “full out,” you are never going to see areas in your life that need to be improved upon. You are never going to have a realization moment where you can pinpoint what is going wrong and test out different solutions to life's struggles. Of course, it is easier said than done. Going “full out” takes a lot of energy, focus, motivation, and work. You have to be patient for life to work out its natural kinks and you cannot get discouraged when you do not receive instant gratification for going “full out.”

 

My journey to becoming a genetic counselor has been really eye-opening to me thus far. I have had to define what going “full out” means to me and I have come to this conclusion: being honest, being empathetic, and serving others is what being “full out” looks like. I have been in a lot of situations where I have felt either belittled and worthless or empowered and loved. I have slowly been breaking this pattern of putting myself in sticky situations over the years, but honestly, I would not have changed a thing no matter how much it made me feel down. I have utilized these moments as learning experiences and have grown a sense of appreciation for those that do care about me and have my best interest in mind. I have found myself wanting to be that same support system for people in the form of genetic counseling. Everybody has a story behind why they decide to seek a genetic counselor. Whether it be that they have a family member that has previously had cancer and they are trying to check to see if they possess the mutated genes that could result in the development of that cancer or that they want to see the possibility of their future offspring having certain diseases and disorders, all I can do is be honest, be empathetic, and serve them in any way I can. Only then will I be able to feel like I have done the most I can do to help others while also staying true to me and ethical in my field of work.