Everybody has some things they are scared of, but we also have that one fear they've always had. The one that could stop you from doing what you want. Everyone has it, whether it afraid of heights, spiders, or something more serious. My fear, started when I was very young, diagnosed with selective mutism in preschool. Ever since then, the unknown has been scary.

Selective mutism, an anxiety disorder where a person who is capable of speech but is unable to speak to certain people or in certain situations due to anxiety, fear, shyness and embarrassment. I would only talk to my parents, two brothers, my best friend, and my godmother. I wasn't even able to speak to my teachers. Every morning on my way to school I would tell my mom, "Mom, today I am going to talk to my teachers," but I never did. I don't remember much of this time expect for being shy, but considering selective mutism is a social anxiety it's probably because I don't want to.

This continued for a year or two, until my family and I went up to my aunt's lake house in Idaho. My cousin taught me how to swim, and when we got home to California I wanted to tell everyone and anyone that I now knew how swim. My parents were surprised by the abrupt change in behavior.

Although I broke through the mute aspect, the remnants of social anxiety stuck with me. I knew I couldn't grow up and continue to be shy, are be nervous when speaking. So I decided to join my school's debate team. Joining debate was scary, because I had to do everything I have had problems with in the past; public speaking, argue, and speak with confidence. Although tricky a first, it started to come more and more natural. What was once scary to me, is now fun.

Everyone wants to have confidence. But if you don't naturally have it, it's extremely difficult to obtain. To fight against your original nature and fears. My story is a classic example of just that. To fight your instinctual fear is hard; no matter if it still affects you like it once did. But in order to function without it affecting you, you must do exactly what the instinct of that fear stops you from doing. Whether it is joining new clubs and teams, making new friends, or whatever is relevant to your situation.

At several points in anyones's life, they face the unknown. As a senior in high school getting ready for college, I am about to face a whole new world of unknown, thousands of miles away from my comfy little Island in the Pacific Ocean. Yes, college is going to be fun. But that is the only part everyone talks about. I am going to be in the middle of thousands of new people. And I can't let my original fear get in the way of having a good experience in college. I believe that everyone has this same situation, having a fear, big or small, and facing the unknown.