Kaicie Boeglin
Opinions Editor
Some days it takes a story to get out of bed. One where I play the protagonist, and my dreams come true. However, it always starts off with the glamorous ending and never with the steps of how to get there. No one will ever know you in any of the ways that you know yourself. The only person one could ask a deep open-ended question to, in search for a specific answer, would be oneself. Self-introspection is the only tool capable of providing the inner appreciation and love someone could have for their own skill set and personality.
Social anxiety is a setback that not only influences the beholder, but the outside community. College is supposed to be a place for skills to flourish and careers to start. Some students are so intertwined with how they are perceived by peers, or the outer public, that they neglect to show their true talent and self. When someone gets so invested in trying to be something they are not, time for studies is lost. Time that could be spent practicing skills is lost. Furthermore, the precious time that can begin to manifest and divulge passions is lost.
Brought upon by past bullying, family issues or a sudden trauma; social anxiety is no joking matter. Although every human is different, there is only one universal way of overcoming social anxiety, which is self introspection. Think about giving up. Now, think about sticking through all the hellfire just to be awarded in the end. How would you get there? Recall all those times you would plan how you would survive a horror movie. If you plan to survive social anxiety, you must have rules for a scenario that will fall within the same guidelines. Focus on the attributes of your life that you do best and really harness your skills. Allow your lifeline to solely depend on you and no one else.
Knowledge is power. Power creates a presumption in the mind that one is okay. Everyone wants to be okay in life, and everyone craves some sort of power. Little does everyone realize, we are all born with unique skills to craft our own superpowers. We all hear tales of fact or fiction that are inclined to the rags to riches stories. There’s movies like Annie or Limitless; celebrities like Cardi B or Token; or even songs like Immortal Technique’s “Dance with the Devil.” Every human in some way has to be accustomed to seeing an individual can go from nothing to something. But an individual becomes something due to their skills and how they chose to use them. Our successes are rooted in what we know to do; how we chose to do it and by most of all, why we chose to do it.
Life has become too social to a point individuals cannot handle a day alone. Social media has thrusted this millennium into an orgasmic realm where individuals share information with followers or fans, rather than just their immediate family or friends. This has had a rippling chaotic effect which caused aspiring students to fear that they are not, or will not be good enough, for outside public representation. Vitality over virality is the first punch you can take in the fight against social anxiety. Care about how YOU see yourself, not how you want others to perceive you. If you spend so much time worrying about how others see you now, you will never notice your own life's progression. Keep in mind everyone acts as if their grass is greener. A life through pictures is easy to frame.
If the pen writing the chapters to your life is in the hands of someone else you will never be ready or prepared for what will happen. Life is only a void of nightmares if we are unprepared, lost and scared to move in any direction. Social anxiety makes being around others formidable. Though the outside evaluation of others should not matter to the individual in question, individuals shouldn’t be hindered from approaching others in times of need. People that struggle with social anxiety have trouble overcoming asking for help, or asking any simple question. The fear of asking a so called “stupid question” keep those who live with social anxiety leached to the idea that they will be presummed idiotic.
When in battle with social anxiety do not be overwhelmed by life as a big picture. Preserve simplicity. Focus on your own enterprise and life ambitions rather than the number of likes on an Instagram post. Always ask questions and never stop wanting to take in new information. Education and knowledge is a gateway to success. We all start from the bottom, and where we go depends on the skills you learn to possess. College is the epitome of learning what we need to further our lives for the best advancement possible. Find YOUR passion, uncover YOUR talents, manifest YOUR future. Social anxiety can only be overcome when you realize EVERYONE has their own fears and faults; it is the 2020 societal norms that cast aspiring students astray.
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