1) The author's biggest fear used to be rejection from peers, but after a tragedy where both grandparents passed away on the same day, their biggest fear changed to losing loved ones. 2) This tragedy caused the author to appreciate their family more and spend less time worrying about fitting in. 3) Others can learn from the author's experience that unexpected tragedies can change one's perspective and priorities in life, and sometimes good can come from negative situations through the lessons we learn.

1. S
From Tragedy Comes
Enlightenment

2. Preview
S Epigraph
S Before Shift
S Shift
S After Shift
S Works Cited

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.