3. Preview
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.
4. Epigraph
“We are all faced with a series of great
opportunities brilliantly disguised as
impossible situations” (Charles R.
Swindoll Quotes).
5. Epigraph Cont.
S This quote perfectly summarizes the lesson I learned through my
change
S Even though I went through a tragedy, something positive came
from it
S 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
S From tragedy comes enlightenment
6. 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
7. 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.
8. Before Shift
S Before my shift, I only acted in ways that would allow me to
fit in
S If I had a differing opinion than my peers, I would push that
belief aside and force myself to agree with them
S My mom always wished that I would be more myself, but I
wrote her advice off as cliché
9. 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
10. Shift
S After I processed the situation, I realized that I had already
changed
S My new biggest fear was losing someone that I love
S I began truly appreciating my family, especially my mom
and my brother
S As opposed to spending all my free time with my friends, I
chose to stay at home some nights to be with my family
11. After Shift
S I was proud of myself for maturing and learning this important
lesson so early in my life
S This important realization was one of the only positive things to
come from this tragic situation
S Others could see this change in me too, and their positive
reactions reinforced me even more
S I finally took my mom’s advice, which I once thought to be cliché
12. After Shift
S My family was happy to spend more time with me, and my friends
never minded that I could not hang out every night
S The best part was not feeling like I was missing out on anything
S I always had that fear of rejection in the back of my mind, but it
no longer controlled me
S I find solace in knowing that some good came from the tragedy
13. 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
14. What Others Can Learn
S Death can be so sudden and can seem so unfair
S It is one of those things that can destroy you in an instant, and
change your life forever
S 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
S I thought that being rejected was the worst possible thing that
could happen to me, until something much worse happened
15. 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
16. Conclusion
S Positive things can come from negative
situations
S These situations can teach you the greatest life
lessons
S I hope that others can read this and learn from
my experience
17. Works Cited
S “BirchLane.” BirchLane.net. n.p., Spet. 2005. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.
S “Charles R. Swindoll Quotes.” BrainyQuote. BookRags Media Network, n.d.
Web. 4 Apr. 2014.
S “Dragonfly Studios.” Funfreshyou.com. n.p., Feb. 2012. Web. 4 Apr. 2014
S “Inspiring Images.” 9images.blogspot.com. n.p., 2014. Web. 4 Apr. 2014.
