Mirrors only show our appearances. They do not show who we are, the things we’ve experienced, our actions, and ideas. But through challenges and tough experiences, you can find out who you really are. About 2 years ago, I was competing in one of my first taekwondo championships. I had won all my previous competitions and matches easily. I was very confident in myself, a little too confident I must say. It was the final match and whoever won got to take home the gold. As I entered the ring that day, I was filled with overconfidence. I looked over my opponent. She was about the same height as me, but skinnier and frail in appearance, with wispy curls pulled back into a high ponytail. The thoughts that ran through my head were something along the lines of “You’ll beat her for sure” and “She’s so tiny, of course you’ll win”. As the referee’s hand came down and the match started, my opponent’s true personality came out. She charged straight at me and landed a head kick on me, scoring three points in the first five seconds. I was so shocked that I did not know what to do. I panicked and forgot everything my coach said. All the strategies and techniques we had worked on went out the door. I was kicking blindly, in hopes of scoring with only one thing in mind: to not lose. The match went by in a blur. Every time I tried to kick, my opponent would counter my kick and score more points. But reality hit me. The match ended and I lost 21-5. I had never lost before. I was afraid of the girl, and to me, her name was associated with defeat. The experience lasted with me. I worked, trained, kicked, and drilled myself harder than before. I listened to my coaches wholeheartedly and made sure I was not overconfident. The following year, I faced the same girl once again at the state championships. This time around, I was afraid. But with encouragement from friends, family, teammates and coaches, I worked up some confidence (but not too much) to face her once again. The referee called us up to the ring. I entered the ring and I felt adrenaline rush through me. I shook hands with the girl, did the customary bow and the referee’s hand came down. When the fight started, I did not panic like the previous match but listened to my coach’s advice. His voice directed me around the ring, attacking at key moments and angling away from her strikes. Her techniques that had frightened me last year had not changed and I was able to counter all of them. This time around, I did not feel the panic or worry as I did the previous year. The main thought in my head was not about winning or losing, but doing my best. Sweat was pouring down my face when the referee ended the match. I had won. My training, hard work, and listening to my coach all paid off. I shook hands and said a quick good job to my opponent before giving my coach a large sweaty hug. As I looked back at my opponent, talking to her own coach, I noticed she still looked the same as last year. She had the same skinny, frail figure, and limp curls pulled back into a ponytail. But who she was on the inside did not frighten me anymore. From this experience, I learned to not let confidence overshadow reality. No matter what, it is important to observe and acknowledge the fact that there are people better than you. But with this idea in mind, you can work hard to become that person that is better. This experience also taught me to not judge others based on their appearances. Before you can judge others, you must judge yourself. A mirror merely reflects the appearance of a person or a thing, but an experience sheds light onto who someone really is.