Confidence is the ability to face adversaries, internal or external, with a positive outlook on self value. These adversaries take many forms in our culture: the school bully, the weighing machine, current fashion trends, the voice of doubt, etc. Unfortunately, confidence is not a skill we are born with. This ability takes trial and error and a great effort to nurture into something extraordinary. This is why the concept of confidence scares away a vast majority of people, because of their fear of failure; however, failure is the key component to building your confidence. In my experience, I have always valued my writing. I often write short stories or poems, but when it comes to academic writing I always struggled. I remember failing my AP English exam in high school and felt devastated about my writing. I refused to pick up a pen for months. It wasn't until this year, after hours of tutoring and reassurance from piers, that I have gained a greater confidence, and greater skill, in my academic writing.

The divide between selflessness and selfishness is an internal relationship constantly thrown out of balance in our society. Some people give everything away, others hoard too much, whereas I strive to maintain that healthy balance. Any excess of resources, time, energy that I have I dedicate to people or organizations around me; however, my first priority is to make sure I am able to stay afloat. By keeping my goals in sight, and managing resources to achieve them, I am setting myself up for a successful future where I can provide more to others in the long run. I help coworkers at work with difficult tasks or taking some of their responsibilities for a time to allow them to catch up. I donate money to my church that extends food and homes to the homeless. In my educational setting I have applied to work at my schools Student Writing Center where I hope to help my fellow students develop, edit, and construct their essays.