Many people just like you are going through or have gone through hardships. Many people just like you have a new found self confidence because of that hardship. What I’m trying to say is there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The darkness won’t stay forever.. When individuals find their way out, they will have gained something new, confidence. Ever heard the song “I’m Still Standing” by Elton John? It describes challenges that many people face and overcomes them. In the song it states “And did you think this fool could never win? Well look at me, I'm coming back again,” These verses talk about how this person was going through a difficult time and is “ Picking up the pieces of [their] life” and “Still standing”. The person in this story went through a hard time and was able to overcome it and grow from it, gaining confidence. In this particular song it talks about a breakup and how that person was able to overcome it and grow as a person because of it. As you can see in this example there is a way out of the struggle and from struggle personal growth and independence. Knowing that you have overcome that obstacle and gained from it. Knowing that all of the fighting and suffering will be worth it. Even in my life I have dealt with struggle and I was able to overcome it. When I was trying out for a volleyball team they rejected me because I was too short. I will never forget those words “You're just too short”. This phrase cut deep, I wasn’t able to play on the team I wanted because of something I couldn’t control. So after that I worked hard every day to be the best, to prove that coach wrong and yes sometimes it was hard and I wanted to quit. Sometimes I felt so caught up like I was drowning, but I pushed through and it paid off. Through my perseverance I tried risky plays and found confidence in myself and my abilities. Through the struggle I was able to find myself. I still have that confidence that helps me push through today. Like the song, I faced a difficult period and was able to overcome it and from that gain something. It doesn’t matter what situation a person is in, almost always people find confidence after a hardship. The person in the song will always be able to look back at the experience and be able to believe in themselves because of what they have been through and use it to help overcome new obstacles. Just like how I use my confidence to be able to persevere through new struggles. A girl named Mikayla Sanderson grew up dirt poor, her mom was abusive, and sometimes she didn’t have food or water. One night her mom had a suicide attempt and ever since then Mikayla lived in foster cared. Now she is 23 and living a good life even though she went through all that. Mikayla was able to overcome all the terrible things that happened to her during her childhood and use that to help her overcome new challenges now. Her childhood now gives her the confidence she needs to go through hardships. She remembers how hard it was back then and that she was able to prevail over that and this helps her push on. Just like how the Elton John song tells the story of how that person went through a hard time, overcame it and now uses that confidence so they can prevail over anything knowing what they have been through. Just like how I now use my past experiences to help me persevere through tough times, knowing that I’ve done it before. Knowing that if I work hard I can do it again. There are lots of other people out there that have similar stories to these.  You aren’t alone. Just know that often teens find themselves in difficult times and through perseverance they are able to gain confidence. You will get out of whatever situation you are in. There is hope, knowing that it will get better and that you will be able to use this experience in the future to help you overcome new challenges. Your confidence that you will find realizing that you have prevailed through this obstacle will help you through life. So remember no matter what situation, what mess, what circumstance you might find yourself in, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and it will always be there.