Self Confidence

The stresses of being a young teenager is very challenging at times between the ages of 8 to 18 years. In grade school, I can remember being insulted and humiliated because I displayed traits of being stuck on myself. I was informed that I walked, spoke, and generally acted like a stuck up girl. I recall feeling angry and felling resentment mixed with shame and self-consciousness. I wondered why I was being singled out, and at the time I thought I was the only one. I tried to figure out why I was being insulted.

When I hit junior high I started wearing bigger clothes and started acting like a tom boy. Thinking that would help my situation. I pushed myself to join sports and my father told me that I was acting like a boy.

At first I didn't understand this, but later I realized that my father believed the stereo type that all teenage boys have long dreams about sports. I never quit my sports, however, because I was fearful of how my father would react. I started loosing confidence in my albility to do sports.

I am now very confident in myself and know that I am not stuck up. I am very confident in everything I do, and if I do not understand something I am not scared to ask for the help. My mind is more open now and proud to be who I am today, because I am me.