Smile, don’t be shy

An obstacle that I have dealt with in my life is shyness. Ever since I was a little kid, I have
always been very shy in various situations. Whether it was talking to a new kid, reciting in front
of the class, greeting somebody my parents knew but I did not, ordering food, or asking for help
in a store. I always choose not to speak. I was simply uncomfortable in any situation that
involved somebody I didn’t know or multiple people all at once.

In addition, I am afraid of being judged by other people. This made life rather difficult for me
because I have lost a lot of opportunities because of shyness. Thus, there was a point in my life
wherein I really want to erase shyness in my system. Good thing, I was surrounded by the right
people during the late years of my junior high school life until my two years in senior high
school.

When I was in grade 9, I remembered having my math teacher as one of my favorite teachers of
all time. When in class, she makes a way for everyone to enjoy participating in class and not be
afraid. She encourages all of us to be active in class in her own unique way. That became my
stepping stone in building my confidence and stop being afraid of the crowd. That teacher of
mine actually shared a few moments in her life where she was also a girl who always hides
behind her family or friends whenever she meets new people that start to talk to her. At first, I
didn’t believe that she was once a shy girl because her class is one of the loudest and liveliest
classes I have ever attended. It is like she was very fond of speaking in front of other people.
Hence, I was inspired by her story and little by little, I eventually put in mind what she told me —
that it really doesn’t matter what anybody thought of me. 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. I did
not care anymore if somebody thought I was odd or different, because everybody is in their own
way. I am no longer dependent on others in almost any predicament. I could now order my own
food, ask a stranger a question, and take the lead to acquire information with ease.

Come senior high school, this is where my confidence was strengthened because I was enrolled
in a school where presenting in front of the class is what we do almost everyday. All of our
outputs, assessments, and exams were in the form of a presentation, debate, and all others that
involve talking in front of a crowd. Not to brag, but because I was able to learn to trust myself
and be confident in what I do ever since grade 9, I was able to be one of the top students in my
class during senior high school.

I was really grateful that I was able to overcome shyness because if not, I will not be able to
work well with other people especially now that I am enrolled in one of the universities that has a
lot of students. It was necessary for me to overcome shyness because not having it allows me
to do more, and to do better in many areas of my life where confidence is needed.