A Challenging Situation I’ve Faced, Essay Example

Everyone has been confronted with challenges throughout their lives, especially during their formative years in which adolescents and young adults have not yet developed effective coping mechanisms in order to grow . A handful of those struggles unequivocally have changed who a person is and how one approaches and views life. The biggest challenge I have faced thus far in my short life is my shyness, which has caused me immense anxiety both in education settings and in my social life. I have always felt a heightened level of anxiety and stress in so many situations, even just participating in class to an objective question about the reading. My teachers would always encourage me to speak in class because they said I have a lot of contribute, but I could never muster up to courage to volunteer so I would shy away as my heart started to beat faster prior to actually raising my hand.. I felt as though I had a physiological reaction that overwhelmed me, and I could not overcome the feeling. I felt ashamed, so my academic studies suffered as a result of this herculean challenge I confronted on a quotidian basis.

Despite this challenge, I soon realized I needed to have a strong desire to overcome my shyness, which was a protracted process and did not happen overnight. I believe I have come a long way as a result of my performance and success in the arena of athletics. I excelled as a basketball player and  track and field, and constant reaffirmation from my coaches, teammates, and friends slowing gave me more confidence as a student and athlete.  High school instilled that desire in me to change because I was so sick of freezing up in certain social situations and in the classroom. Speaking in front of people, especially my classmates, used to make me feel sick to my stomach.

I also decried the fact that my shyness hindered me from being an effective leader and communicator. Ironically, I want to pursue a career in politics, so I knew I had to overcome my shyness in order to develop as a person, a leader, and a social individual who is not afraid to express an opinion out of fear of humiliation.