During the age of 12 to 16 years old, I felt
that I was not as confident or outspoken and that I am a person of neither
talents nor forte compared to many of my friends. When I was a child, I never
got the chance to attend those aesthetic classes like art, piano or dance
classes as my parents felt that my childhood should not be bombarded with extra
lessons. They thought that talents come to children naturally. I always had a
strong sense of regret when it came to not developing any skills.
I was part of my secondary school's Chinese orchestra
for four years. Sadly, I found out that
I was not musically inclined at all. My instructor always placed me at the last
row so that my terrible skills can be concealed. Therefore, throughout the four
years in secondary school, I felt very disappointed with myself for being a
person with no skills or talents.
When I
went to Junior college, everything changed when I decided to fill in the
application form for house committee. At first, I thought that I would not be
able to get elected, as the whole process was very tedious and long. However,
somehow I managed to get through all the rounds of selection and even gave a
rally speech in front of more than 200 people. After I got selected as publicity
I/C for house committee, I became very active in many school activities. I had
to pick up Photoshop skills and created many artworks for school posters,
banners and even t-shirts. Being a leader and having to organize many school
events such as sports day and orientation day, I am required to be more
confident, out-spoken and creative. All these occurrences and events gradually allowed
me to shape my confidence and self-esteem as I discovered and embraced my
strengths and no longer focusing on only my weaknesses.
Up till today, success of those school events
still gives me a tremendous sense of accomplishment. Two years in junior
colleges and the chance to have a leadership position in house committee really
is a remarkable milestone of my life that has shaped my life and the person
I've become.
Hi Si Li!
ReplyDeleteI can largely relate to your accounts of not being as confident as some of your friends! Some of my friends are too ever so confident that it scares me sometimes. It's great to know that your experience as a publicity I/C has enabled you to step out of your comfort zone! Sometimes it's those 'yolo' moments that we never have regrets for : )
Hi Sili,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. Like you, I also admire those who are talented. However, you do not need to feel so negative as you can always pick up those skills in the future. I am glad that you have become more confident since your JC days and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.
Cheers,
Alvin
Hi Sili,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your entry and can really relate to your account of not being (as) confident, outspoken and 'talented'.
Here are some suggestions you can take into consideration when doing further editing;
- "They thought talent comes naturally to children".
- "I had to pick up Photoshop skills and [to] create many artworks for school posters, banners and even T-shirts".
- "Up till today, success from those school events still gives me a tremendous sense of accomplishment".
- "Two years in Junior College..."
Hope it helps!
Shu Kai
Hi Sili,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your sharing on how you overcame your personal struggle with confidence. Occasionally, I will get intimidated by people who are so confident that it overpowers my self esteem as well! I enjoyed reading your post and liked how you described the event transiting from when you were young, to secondary school and junior college. To top it off, your sentences were also concise and written with clarity. Great to see that you have gained confidence from those two years in junior college as confidence is definitely a useful interpersonal skill to have, not just in university, but also your in the working industry!
Regards,
Wan Xian
This is a very effective reflection, Sili. In it you clearly describe yourself during your early teenage years while expressing some of the frustration that you felt since you weren't involved in some of the activities that you saw others engaged in and you perhaps didn't show talent in high profile areas such as art and music. You then detail your development during the JC years thanks to your involvement in the house committee. Your learning from that experience is well explained. What is not so well explained for me since I am not familiar with life in a junior college is the purpose of such a committee and the scope of the job you were selected to do. Elaborating on that would make this an even richer post.
ReplyDeleteThere are also a few minor language issues. Perhaps we can discus those in class.
Thanks for your effort!