A person who encouraged you to try something new

Original illustrative response

• I would like to describe my cousin Maya, who encouraged me to join a local walking group. I had recently moved to a new area and knew very few people. Although I wanted to explore, I was nervous about turning up alone. Maya suggested that we try one short walk together, with no promise to go again. She helped me check the meeting place and reminded me that I could simply listen if I did not feel like talking. During the walk, someone asked about my old neighbourhood, and the conversation became much easier. I ended up returning the following week on my own. What stands out is that Maya did not tell me to stop being nervous. She made the first step small enough for me to try. Since then, I have used the same approach when starting other unfamiliar activities. This is a short illustrative response; develop your own details rather than aiming to recite it for two minutes.