I often find myself in leadership positions quite unexpectedly. Here I am, minding my own business, happily going about my own work and helping others. Then, at some point, I get a call to go to the manager's office. I often go on these trips worrying that I've done something wrong. As I sit down, the manager will smile and tell me the wonderful news. I was chosen to lead. The problem is that I suffer from a serious case of “lack of self-confidence”. Yes, I know it's not a real illness, but it's the lack of self-confidence that ails me. The first time I encountered this problem was when I was 12 years old. Certainly, it was in a religious capacity, but it was still leadership. position. I was called to be the president of our class, there were eight girls in all. I remember being asked if I would take the mission and all I wanted to do was run and hide. Me? A president? I didn't understand why they thought I could do that. They were surely wrong! I accepted the position and then spent the next 4 months trying to fulfill my duties, while feeling overwhelmed. Every time they asked my opinion or requested a decision, I responded in the form of a question. I never felt comfortable as a leader and was grateful to be released a few months later. I always thought someone else was better suited for the job. The second time I encountered the same problem was when I worked for a company as a customer service associate. The project was new to our establishment and as a result, many positions had not yet been created. Once again, I was happy to be doing my own thing, while helping others with theirs, when I got the call. The manager... middle of paper ...... was relieved when it was finally time to move on to our next meeting. The saddest part is that it was only two weeks ago. Luckily, after I got home and had some time to think, I realized that this seemed to be a trend. After looking back, I realized that I belong in these leadership roles and maybe the reason I continue to go into them is to teach myself to trust and use my abilities. Surely someone sees these qualities in me, why not me? I decided I needed to change it, I don't want to look back and regret the choices I made. So, as I sit here writing this essay about my lack of self-confidence, thinking back to those times and how I felt, I feel the same feeling. Oh, that's a daunting task to undertake. How to reverse the effects of lack of self-confidence? I guess I'll never know, unless I try to see what others do to me.