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From Tragedy Comes Enlightenment
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Epigraph Before Shift Shift After Shift Works Cited
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Thesis: My biggest fear was being rejected by my peers, until a sudden tragedy made
me fear losing someone I love even more. It changed the way I thought about things and the way I acted for the better, and I believe
others can learn from my experience.
Epigraph
“We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly
disguised as impossible situations” (Charles R. Swindoll Quotes).
Epigraph Cont.
This quote perfectly summarizes the lesson I learned through my change
Even though I went through a tragedy, something positive came from it
It was an opportunity for me to change the way I lived my life, and to learn to appreciate people I cared about before it was too late
From tragedy comes enlightenment
Before Shift
- My biggest fear used to be rejection from my peers
- When I started a new school, this fear was exacerbated
- I tried every day to fit in and to find my place in this new group of peers
Before Shift
My first day of seventh grade was a day I will never forget, but also one that I
barely remember. I told myself that today was simply about meeting new people,
and that I would not immediately worry if they would accept me or not. I instantly
knew that I was lying to myself.
Before Shift
Before my shift, I only acted in ways that would allow me to fit in
If I had a differing opinion than my peers, I would push that belief aside and force myself to agree with them
My mom always wished that I would be more myself, but I wrote her advice off as cliché
Shift
- There are certain moments in your life that change you forever
- One of these moments for me was when I found out that two of my grandparents passed away in the same day
- This was the first time I had ever lost anyone so close to me, and the way in which it happened made it that much worse
Shift
After I processed the situation, I realized that I had already changed
My new biggest fear was losing someone that I love
I began truly appreciating my family, especially my mom and my brother
As opposed to spending all my free time with my friends, I chose to stay at home some nights to be with my family
After Shift
I was proud of myself for maturing and learning this important lesson so early in my life
This important realization was one of the only positive things to come from this tragic situation
Others could see this change in me too, and their positive reactions reinforced me even more
I finally took my mom’s advice, which I once thought to be cliché
After Shift
My family was happy to spend more time with me, and my friends never minded that I could not hang out every night
The best part was not feeling like I was missing out on anything
I always had that fear of rejection in the back of my mind, but it no longer controlled me
I find solace in knowing that some good came from the tragedy
What Others Can Learn
- I hope that others can learn something from my experience
- Even if they have not been through the exact same situation, I am sure many people can relate
- The majority of people have lost someone they loved, and they have felt that indescribable pain
What Others Can Learn
Death can be so sudden and can seem so unfair It is one of those things that can destroy you in an instant,
and change your life forever I hope people can realize that sometimes our fears in life
are insignificant, even though at one point we may feel like they consume us
I thought that being rejected was the worst possible thing that could happen to me, until something much worse happened
What Others Can Learn
Most importantly, I want people to realize that sometimes we
discover the most about ourselves and we learn the
greatest life lessons through situations in which we initially
see no positivity
Conclusion
Positive things can come from negative situations
These situations can teach you the greatest life lessons
I hope that others can read this and learn from my experience
Works Cited
“BirchLane.” BirchLane.net. n.p., Spet. 2005. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.
“Charles R. Swindoll Quotes.” BrainyQuote. BookRags Media Network, n.d. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. “Dragonfly Studios.” Funfreshyou.com. n.p., Feb. 2012. Web. 4 Apr. 2014
“Inspiring Images.” 9images.blogspot.com. n.p., 2014. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.