Competitions are always fun but can be stressful for not only the participant but also the family. One of my biggest strengths has been my ability to stay calm during competitions. I have had many people come and tell me how they admired the way I appeared stress free during my spelling bee. To tell you the truth I was not always "stress free" but probably I had somehow mastered the art of managing my stress. Some ways I manage stress is by not focusing on the end goal and also not setting super high expectations for myself. The key to have a calm mindset is not to focus on the result. Every time I got a word, I would only focus on that moment, spell it without worrying about what will happen if I get it right or wrong. Another thing that helped me manage my stress was the fact that after every bee we would celebrate the journey and the growth a competition brought in regardless of the result. My family would always celebrate every little success with something as small as an icecream and recognize the effort that was put in to get this far!
