I must identify the self independently of occupation. I have a history of directly connecting my esteem to my primary activity, it seems, and whenever that focus is changed, I undergo an upheaval, a reevaluation, a reestimation. "School" is merely the latest example, one application of self at which I excel, and should not be the basis upon which I construct my "value." I am a whole person regardless of whether or not I am engaged in intellectual pursuits. If I believe in myself to begin with, I will have more strength in times of trial, and thus should be capable of contributing greater things.

I suddenly wonder if another reason why I enjoyed singing and performing so much was because it was a way to give.