<p>So I think I've decided on an essay topic. I want to write about fear and courage and how it has affected my life. Basically, I used to be afraid of failure and it held me back (didn't take challenging classes in 9th-10th grade, missed opportunities, etc). I've since gotten over it and I'm willing to do more things, take on more challenges, etc etc. I've basically realized that fear can hold people back, and it held me back for awhile. I can also go into some family history with it and reflect on how fear affects the rest of the world. Basically, there's a lot I feel I can do with this and I can use personal examples with it and all that.</p>
<p>However, there's no one moment where I realized that fear of failure held me back. It's just something I've slowly realized and gotten over. I've also noticed how my friends (who are brilliant people) are holding themselves back because they're too afraid to basically leave their comfort zone. So I can't pinpoint one moment exactly, but everything I've read has told me to use an anecdote to introduce the topic.</p>
<p>The only thing I can really think of is how I was watching The Daily Show last Thursday. All of this had been on my mind for awhile already, but when he announced his Rally to Restore Sanity and talked about fear in politics and world issues, I REALLY started to think about the subject in terms of the world and how I've changed over the years. I'm just not sure if I want to say "So I was watching The Daily Show when I came to an epic realization" or something like that haha. Of course, one of the schools I'm applying to is William and Mary, so they might appreciate it ;)</p>
<p>So, to finally get to the point, should I just discuss how this realization developed over time? Or should I talk about how The Daily Show really made me sit and reflect on it after it had been in the back of my mind for awhile? Or go another route? Sorry if my topic doesn't make a whole lot of sense right now, but I know in my head where I'm going with it haha.</p>