The Strength to be Brave
Creative Arts Captain Lily, proves that even embarrassing experiences can be transformed into wins.
Each week our student leaders share their insights with their peers in Assembly.
I’m sure you will probably all realise by the end of this speech that public speaking is not my strong suit. When I was given the opportunity to address the Principal’s Assembly, my initial reaction was a hard “no”. However, in considering the Prefect initiative for this year, Hands In, I decided the only way I would improve my public speaking abilities was to put my hand in; so here I am.
I was always taught to take advantage of every opportunity that came my way. Of course, this is easier said than done. When I was in Year 7 at 韩国AV, I signed myself up for Diving as my summer sport. I had done Swimming throughout my years at primary school and was even the Swimming Champion at my school of 30 people in the Snowy Mountains. I somehow thought diving would come quite naturally to me. It did not. This was made clear to me when my mum drove six hours up to Sydney on a Wednesday to watch me dive, and all she really saw was the multiple ways in which I could bellyflop and the many bruises I acquired as a result. Yes, the videos are still a major laughing point in my family.
After this experience, it is safe to say that diving is probably not for me. However, I would never have known this if I hadn’t tried diving in the first place. Although that video of me bellyflopping will probably haunt me for the rest of my life, and yes, it was very embarrassing, I got over it. I have no regrets, and I am thankful that I even had the opportunity presented to me. It can be easy to shy away from new opportunities because of the fear of failing or embarrassing yourself. However, you never know what you can achieve if you never branch out. So, what I’m saying is that you should all put your hands in to try new things, regardless of whether you think you might fail because a new experience is always a win.