Everyone has found himself or herself faced with situations or duties they did

not want to do. Some people would come into this situation showing exactly
that, that they did not want to be there; however, some would come into the
situation with a positive outlook knowing that while they did not want to be
there, they had no choice. Since there was an obligation to do it, there was no
way out. Feeling mad or frustrated was pointless because it was going to have
to happen no matter what, so they make an effort to put forth a positive
demeanor, do their best, and not care what anyone else thinks. I believe that
when faced with dreaded obligations a positive outlook can help the situation.

For instance, I hate speaking out loud in front of a lot of people. Therefore, in
class projects and speeches are always the worst. I dread the day when I am
supposed to present my poster, paper, power point, or whatever it maybe. I
don’t really know why it bothers me so much, but I know I am not the only one
who feels this way. First, I would procrastinate even starting the project,
thinking that maybe if I did not start it, the day would never come where I had
to present it. Obviously, this is not true, and by doing this, I was putting more
stress on myself in addition to the initial stress I already felt. Every day when I
went home I knew I should be working on it, but I could never force myself to
actually begin. Therefore, the project loomed over me for weeks. After I finally
would begin, I would find myself rushed because I did not give myself enough
time to complete the project to my satisfaction. When the day would finally
come for me to present, I was so nervous about how it turned out and what
people would think that I would end up rushing my words, and speaking so fast
that either no one could understand me, or I forgot and did not say half of what
I had wanted.

After suffering through many projects and presentations, my mom and I were
talking, and it finally hit. Why should I care if my classmates or audience
disagreed with me or thought I did a terrible job? That didn’t matter. All that
mattered was how I felt about it. The next day no one would remember it. I
know that when I listen to presentations, about an hour after they’re done, I
can’t recall very clearly what was said or how well it was done. It didn’t matter
to me. The only person that cared was the person presenting. After learning this
lesson, my life has become much easier. I do much better on oral presentations
than I used to. Sure, I’m still nervous, and I still don’t like them at all, but I can
get through them.