'Your daughter is a little full for gymnastics. Maybe you'll try to find another sport? » the strict coach asked my mother. I looked at this woman with frightened eyes and didn't understand what I was doing wrong. “Want some ice cream?” "" my mother asked, trying to cheer me up. “Uh, no,” I shook my head, looking at the ground. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay As I think about my life, I realize that I really need to decide how to define myself. What defines me today? Is it what others think and say about me, what others say I should do, or even what others expect of me? No, it's none of those things. What defines my life is what I think about myself: I believe in myself. But that wasn't always the case. When I was five, I hid in my room because I was too shy to face my family friends who periodically visited us on weekends. I was just afraid of having to talk to them. Only after the guests had left would I return to my normal state and examine the gifts they traditionally brought me. And what I noticed is that it's quite interesting how we tend to hide ourselves from others; and the main question WHY? I have always been shy and insecure, for as long as I can remember. In elementary school, I only spoke when asked. I had a hard time making new friends because I rarely struck up conversations with the nice kids like I thought I would. I signed up for various extracurricular activities, like drawing, which my mother said was a great way to make new friends. But a shy child like me could easily slip into the background, unnoticed. In 6th grade, I didn't have the courage to run for president of our class because someone once said I wasn't good enough for it. . Even though I knew deep in my soul that my application was exactly what the class and the school needed. But then I was afraid to oppose it, and my little dream remained a dream. I was depressed and angry with myself, but I couldn't do anything. That's why I started avoiding social situations. My friends didn't know what to do and soon my cell phone stopped ringing. Somehow, I had slowly become detached from everything and everyone. I became the girl who walks alone to class and barely speaks. Being shy was mentally and physically exhausting for a 12 year old girl, which is why I finally decided to change. I made several failed attempts to build my confidence, I really didn't know where to start and slowly started to give up. But as happens in life, help comes when you least expect it. My grandmother sent me a letter with warm words: “Nothing can be done without faith and trust. » She wrote. I tried to say these words several times and understood their importance. I just started looking for solutions to my problem. A whole new horizon opened my eyes when my mother introduced me to the swimming section at our local pool to build my confidence and health. New situations always make us a little nervous, and my first swimming lesson was no exception. After changing into my swimsuit in the locker room, I stood quietly at the corner of the pool waiting for the coach. After a few minutes, the silhouette of a person appeared in the distance. I didn't expect to see a young woman wearing a.