Overcoming My Obstacle by Karina

Overcoming My Obstacle by Karina - November 2013 Scholarship Essay

High school is arguably the best four years of a person’s life. Individuals are growing, learning, and preparing to venture into the reality of the world known as adulthood. However, whether people make the best or worst of these years will determine if it really is the greatest time of their life or not. In order to get the most out of high school as one can, one must learn to not care what others think about them – which is the most valuable lesson I’ve learned in high school.

Ever since I was little, I have always been very shy in almost any situation. Whether it was talking to a new person, speaking in front of a group of people, greeting somebody my parents knew but I didn’t, or simply ordering food/asking for help in a store: I would try to hide inside of myself. I was simply uncomfortable in any circumstance, large or small, that involved somebody I didn’t know and/or multiple people all at once. This made life rather difficult for me, especially since my parents knew I had to get over this. Thus, they would push me to do things such as bring the check to the front of a restaurant or ask somebody a question I had instead of having them ask for me, in hopes that I could get over my shyness. Although this was all for my benefit and I agree that these actions were necessary, it would simply cause me even more stress and anxiety, as it was intense pressure on me to do what I dreaded to.

Besides affecting me in real-world situations, it most commonly distressed me at school. I couldn’t walk the halls or even walk from my desk to the teacher’s without thinking that everybody’s eyes were on me. This made me very nervous, and I was simply always wary of the “popular” people as school environments tend to have a hierarchy in every grade.

Sophomore year of high school was the year I finally grasped the concept that it really doesn’t matter what anybody thinks of you. With this new-found attitude, I was able to walk the halls with ease, talk to new people, and not worry about this problem as much. Throughout my school years, I always had good friends – few of them, but great ones. Then in eighth grade, I began to make new friends through the ones I already had. Finally, throughout high school, I was able to branch off and make friends by myself. I didn’t care anymore if somebody thought I was odd or different, because everybody is in their own way. In fact, I initiated the start of a friendship that soon after blossomed into a still-going relationship. If I was told in middle school that in a few years I would cause the start of an amazing relationship with a person that loves and appreciates me for who I am, I would not have believed it for a second. I was so wrapped up in the need for everybody to think I’m perfect that I just followed the crowd. I never did anything for myself, nor did I take the initiative for anything.

I’m no longer dependent on others in almost any predicament. I realized that a situation is only awkward if you make it awkward, and with this I could now order my own food, ask a stranger a question, and take the lead to acquire information with ease. Although some may have always been able to do such simple tasks, they were much more difficult for me and I now take pride in having overcome my shyness – one of the biggest obstacles of my life.

Understanding that it’s important not to live your life trying to impress others is the most valuable lesson I’ve learned in high school, because it allows me to freely act the way I want without worrying what others are thinking. Not only that, but I’ve taken it a step further by trying to share my helpful knowledge with my friends that are stuck in their shyness. I try to guide them in overcoming it, just like I have, in hopes that they can experience life anew. It has drastically changed my life as I now go to Interact Club conferences with people throughout my state, broadcast ideas and fundraisers throughout my school, and get along with almost anybody. This is a lesson that will impact events throughout the rest of my life, and hopefully get me to where I need to be.