A Time I Felt Proud of Myself

In this essay, I will delve into a time when I felt proud of myself and my own achievements. This personal narrative will explore the circumstances, emotions, and significance of that particular experience, shedding light on the valuable lessons it has imparted.

The third golden rule in communication is to write to express, and not to impress. What does it truly take to help define a person? Honestly, I could have mentioned some of my greatest experiences or assets which may turn out to be the world’s best myself essay pdf paper or which may increase my impression on whoever is reading this, but at this point, I want to be true to myself and take it in my heart.

Growing up, I always felt lucky in every aspect of my life. You name it, family, friends, education, height, well except my weight, but overall, the quality of life I was living. I was used to the color-shaded lens of life I was wearing, the ever-happy music playlist I was listening to, and the silent shy girl façade I was imposing to myself. I was average. I was the type of student who never fails not to recite in class unless needed to, the type of student who diligently complies with all school works and requirements, and lastly, the type of student who simply wants to be the better version of herself every day. I simply thought that I was set for life during those times – that being average was okay. I guess many people feel that way too, to be able to have the passion to want more for herself or to be more of herself, but chose not to.

The first rejection I ever faced in my life was in the 8th grade. I applied for a position in a club; one of my closest friends acquired the position, and I did not. Back then, I got used to the fact that I only watched my friends and acquaintances evolving into successful versions of themselves while in the sidelines. Was I proud of myself during that time? No, I wasn’t very proud of myself. I felt not enough because of that experience. At first, I was in denial of my skills and capabilities – of my value as a student. I started to pose a question unto myself, “Am I not worth it?” “Was my answer not that good?” As time passed by, I eventually learned how to embrace rejection. The only thing that kept my self-esteem sailing was to think that maybe I’m just not the person suited for the position – that there’s someone more passionate and determined more than me.

To keep myself sailing, I had to dig up my motivation, explore my strengths, and unravel what I was capable of achieving. I wanted to prove myself to my self that I was more than what my name spoke of me. I started to pick up the pace in this unspoken competition between myself. I decided to invest 100 percent of myself towards my education. As hard as it can get, I swallowed all my insecurities for a better Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Whenever I had to present a report or perform in front of the class, I always tell myself, “Nandito na ako sa harap. Wala namang mawawala sa akin. Bakit hindi ko pa ito sulitin?” During these moments, I had the chance to speak up and to stand up for myself. Slowly, without realizing, the self-esteem and confidence I once almost lost were already in my heart. Now, was I proud of myself at that time? The answer was yes; I was contented.

I found confidence in the platform. I found confidence through the people sitting idly in front of me, the people who were listening to me, and the people who were watching my back. Without a doubt, I still get nervous whenever I speak in front of people. I mean, who doesn’t, right? However, that platform became my comfort place because I only wanted to be acknowledged and heard. During 10th grade, I considered myself very fortunate. This was the year where I truly experienced what life was all about – or maybe just about a part of it. All the gloomy drops of rain which was drowning me turned out not to be about drowning, but filling myself to the brim. Like they say, “You have to be broken to feel complete.” This was the year where I had a goal, and that’s to be one of Top 10 of our class. My urge to be something more amplified because I had the means to make it happen if only I try. I pushed myself to the cliff of my limits even if that meant that I had to attend school without sleep or breakfast. “Kung gusto mo, kakayanin mo. Titiisin mo,” that line continuously never failed me up to this very moment. I was not born either intelligent or good in Mathematics, but I was born to live. I may be born without connections, but I was born to be a bridge to people. Sometimes, I secretly think that the two of the key ingredients in an umami life are hard work and perseverance. Simply put, going on stage to receive an award and be acknowledged by my family at the end of every quarter was both rewarding and desolate.

There are times when I want to ask adults this question, “What do people live for?” When I held the certificate in my hand, it made me realize that this certificate was incomparable to all the efforts, experiences, and the exhaustion I gave, went through and had to overcome just to have a thin paper. What was I living for? Was it for people to ask me what the answer to question number three is? Was it for people to rely and depend on me? Was it only because I was closing the gap between my friends’ successful versions? If there’s something I want to tell the 16-year-old Iya who’s probably tiring herself out right now, maybe in a parallel universe, I want to tell her that you live for yourself. You live to take care of yourself and to make your life meaningful.

Let me ask this question to myself again, “Am I proud of myself this time?” Yes, I am proud of the person I am right now. Most of all, I am proud of all the experiences and the hoops I went through just to be at this point in life. Tracing all the steps way back, to be the best version of yourself is to keep moving. Before, rejection may be a phase that I wasn’t ready to face at all, but now I believe it was a phase that jump-started the engine in my life. Instead of crumbling down, it made me move forward, leftward, rightward, backward, or to simply move! It doesn’t matter which direction you’re moving in, as long as you have a destination to go to. Getting lost is part of the process in life, but there will always be a GPS or people to guide you on the way. Rejection for me may not be a good experience, but it’s one for the books as it helped me to define myself and especially, find the value in me. Defining who I truly am and finding the essence in me made me realize my purpose and appreciation of my own identity.

To end up i am proud of myself because essay, I am proud to be rejected. I am prepared to face what life has in store for me, and ultimately, I am more than ready to embrace my individuality.