When quarantine started, I decided to take the time to focus on myself and my mental health. In high school, I was very insecure about myself, whether it was because of my looks, personality, or grades. I felt a constant pressure to be like everyone else and essentially create a fake personality for others to like me. During quarantine, I took the time to learn confidence and self-worth.
The biggest thing I learned is that if you want to do something, you should do it without worrying about what others will think. If you hear music and you want to get up and dance, go for it. If you want to talk to someone, there is no reason why you can’t. I’ve always heard the quote, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” but I never really understood what that meant until I finished high school.
After graduating, I realized that there were many things that I wished I had done during those four years that I didn’t. One of them was attending school dances. I didn’t start attending school dances and events until my senior year, and with my senior year being cut short due to Covid, I did not experience as much as I hoped. I regret not having the confidence to get more involved and attend events during my first three years of high school. Additionally, I wish I had talked to more people. I was very reserved and shy in high school, so I wish I had the confidence to make friends with more people than just my circle of a few friends.
Confidence is hard for a lot of people, including myself, so the biggest piece of advice I can give is to fake it until you make it. Pretend that you are confident, even if you are not. The more you act like you are confident, the more others will believe it, and eventually, you will believe in yourself.