What are you afraid of?

Ever since the beginning of time, fear is known for doing many things. Lurking deep in our hearts, fear constricts, hinders, and may even break the spirits and minds of people.  It eats at us from the inside, assaulting us with past failures and doubt, paralyzing us against our true potential.

With standardized tests, students could face overbearing-stress when they do not perform up to par. Singapore�s emphasis on grades can potentially strike fear in those who aren�t academically inclined, by pressurizing them to meet expectations.

�I had this big fear of failing. I was in constant stress and it got so bad that my parents had to bring me for counselling. That helped me to be more positive.  It�s extremely important to talk to the right people, because handling struggles alone is very dangerous,� said Stephanie Melinda, a Year 1 Common Engineering Student.

Stephanie Melinda

After completing my first year in Nanyang Polytechnic, I was really demoralized when I received a GPA score that was below my expectations. After witnessing my family�s disappointed faces, I drowned myself in self-condemnation. I began to feel as though my days in school were redundant and pointless.

Fortunately, I overcame my feelings when I realized that a person�s thoughts control the feelings he/she has, and not vice versa.

 Instead of, �my future is ruined�, �I�m worthless�, �it�s the end for me�, I changed my thoughts to �I�m not giving up,� and �my future is bright�. Sure enough, my heart began to lift.

Fear can also be caused by low self-esteem. Comparing your flaws to others� strengths damages your self-image.

�I often feel judged by people, and it can be quite scary. Everyone seems so good-looking, while I stick out like a sore thumb. I often feel that they�re laughing at me. When I�m in a room full of strangers, it makes me especially awkward, I�ll feel like running out, �said Elizabeth Fong, a Year 3 Dental Hygiene & Therapy student.

Elizabeth Fong

As all of us will have flaws, it is so easy for people to want what they do not have. What�s worse is when the lack of self-love leads to one being introspective.

What most of the world does not know however, is that no matter how lowly one thinks of themselves, someone out there thinks the world of them.

Unlike common fears related to schools or inner struggles, Jansen Lim�s fear was a rather unique one about the loss of loved ones.

�I�m afraid of losing the people I love. Everyone is growing old, my parents aren�t getting any younger, and it scares me how fast the process is. Every minute gone is a minute closer to biting the dust. But I�ve accepted that life is transient, and now I�m living the moment and making it last,� said the Year 2 Accountancy and Finance student.

Jansen Lim

After hearing about the varied fears of my fellow schoolmates, I�m truly grateful for their candour, and I hope that anyone out there facing similar situations can relate to this article.

Remember, no matter what fears you have, never let them rob you from having the most wonderful days of your life.

To conclude, let�s live boldly! Eventually we will find the right people who will lift us up or catch us when we fall, and will walk with us as we overcome our fears.

By Sharlene Tan, Diploma in Fund Management & Administration

�The strongest hearts are the ones that have been broken.� 

Setbacks are unavoidable in life, but what matters is picking yourself up.? Being one of the new members of The Write Stuff, Sharlene Tan is on her amazing journey to living life fulfilled. 

Her family and friends are the ones who have kept her going, and they mean the world to her.