Example Of The Benefits Of Overcoming Personal Fears Essay

I. Overcoming your personal fears is the only way to achieve your full potential (thesis statement).
II. A. Many barriers turn out to be primarily mental
i. Theodore Roosevelt overcame the fear of asthma to lead a vigorous life
ii. Long-distance runners often find that their limits are in their heads

B. Fears keep you from trying things that could turn out to be your greatest skills

i. Many great writers leave their work in a desk drawer, such as Emily Dickinson
ii. Fear of the water could keep a great swimmer from finding his potential
C. Fears are often the result of bullying from other people
i. Worrying about the comments of others often keeps people from pursuing the arts
ii. The creativity that leads to groundbreaking inventions can be squashed by fear
III. Conclusion (see paragraph below)

Introduction paragraph:

When Thomas Edison was a young boy, he tried to hitch a ride on a train, but a conductor found him and threw him off – by his ear. The damage caused the young Edison to lose much of his hearing. For many people, this experience would have been terrifying and might have caused them to lose confidence. However, Edison developed a reputation for being one of history’s greatest inventors, showing a great deal of persistence in developing the light bulb and the record player, among others. He persisted after developing a handicap, rather than giving into his fears. Overcoming your personal fears is the only way to achieve your full potential.

Conclusion paragraph:

As long as your personal fears continue to guide you, you will never achieve everything you were meant to. When Michael Jordan was a ninth grader, he went out for his school’s basketball team, but the coach cut him. When he went back out again the next year, the same thing happened. If he had let those two setbacks develop a fear for trying out, both the University of North Carolina and the Chicago Bears would have been deprived of one of the greatest players of all time.