ESSAY TOPIC : Consider something in your life you think goes unnoticed and write about why it's important to you.
Every time I saw my worn out camp badge, I am reminded of my first days in junior high. I used to spend four to five hours everyday playing Point Blank, a once popular online game in Indonesia. As I spent so much time on computer, I didn't really interact with people, and that had made me an introvert. I barely got out from house, nor I have many friends. Studying seemed to be a useless effort, as my grades just got worse and worse. In the end, my parents were at the brink of giving up; their last resort was to send me off to Adam Khoo camp. It never crossed my mind that it would be a turning point of my life.
Out of the camp's attending coaches, the firmest, military-styled coach named Eric accompanied my group. He forced me to make friends with at least 15 different people everyday, speak up in front of everyone, lead the entire group, and many more. There was a time when I burst to tears for how frustrating Eric had been. Only after a couple of days, I managed to settle. I was able to lead my group properly, and they followed my instructions well. I was able to talk and socialize more fluently, and I got a lot of friends from the camp. Unconsciously, I've become more confident and amiable.
The camp was such a huge impact that I auditioned and came back the following year as an Assistant Coach. As if it was destiny, I met Eric on the camp for the second time. "Best of luck old chap.", Eric said with a challenging look and a smirk. I was determined to prove myself.
I had my own group of troublemakers to lead. Dealing with many troublesome kids was difficult; I had to be strict yet understanding at the same time. I also got to work with unique people from many countries and backgrounds. And just like what Eric had done to me, I had managed to change my most introvert participant into the camp's energy pill! Being an assistant coach was way more challenging, but I also got a lot of new experiences.
At the end of the camp, I thanked Eric and told him goodbye. Eric replied nothing but a smile; giving me a pat on the back, Eric went off home. I could tell that he was proud of me.
My success on the camp gave me the confidence to take on more challenges. Like what Winston Churchill once said, "Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential." Therefore, I like to engage myself in activities and challenges to discover and develop my potentials.
It has been four years since I first learnt magic, a profound art that I am truly passionate about. Since then, I have performed magic on big events like art festivals and cultural exhibitions. Being able to entertain and make people smile gives a sensation that I really enjoy. As a self-taught magician, I have accomplished some quite big achievements. I have won about ten international online contests on Youtube. I also have my own magic-dedicated Youtube channel with about four thousand subscribers from all over the world. Mismag822, who has the biggest magic channel on Youtube, also noticed my channel and contacted me. We actually did a collaboration video together which has attracted more than one hundred thousand viewers!
To develop my social and organizational skills, I decide to join in as many activities and organizations as I could. I am actively involved in social and church activities. Every week, we train new acolytes and sell merchandizes. Then, we use the profit to buy basic needs to give out to poor people. To my advantage, my also school holds the biggest educational and sport events in the city. Thus, I join the student council and become committee for many big events. Despite my organizational activities, I manage to arrange my time well. I might not be the most brilliant student; however, I am a hard working student who is eager to learn. As a result, my grades are getting better, especially for math and English. I actually got perfect scores for both subjects for my junior high's national exam.
I have also tried playing many musical instruments, especially piano and guitar. I have played piano with orchestras for some regional concerts, and toured around a couple of cities. I'm also planning to perform with buddies in an art festival as a guitarist. Our band will be called The 'Jaggers', a German word that means 'hunters', cause we will perform as love hunters. The band's concept is about five single high school boys who will present sad love songs, which is so hilarious and exciting!
These experiences give me a whole new perspective; every person is born with his own unique talents. Unfortunately, most people, like how I did, take those gifts for granted. Most of the time, we are just too lazy and reluctant to explore and develop ourselves. Where in reality, our potentials are one of the most important assets to face our lives. Discovering our skills and interests also makes live more colorful and meaningful. It is every person's duty to develop to his fullest potential.
