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LIFE

Dear Carol

I want to be popular

 

 
It seems the only way to be popular is to be someone else, but when I try to be someone else, that someone is usually rejected, too. I just don’t fit in with others in the right way.
-Poppin' To Be Popular 
 
Dear Poppin’ To Be Popular,
Instead of struggling to be popular, strive to have one or two real friends. Which girls do you likes besides the most popular ones? Your next-door neighbor? The girl behind you in English? The new kid in school?
Keep developing your strengths (academic, athletic, and personal) and join an after-school activity to meet new people. Then be yourself—your most outgoing self. Say hi to lots of kids. Ask questions like, “How was your weekend?” and listen to the answer. If someone says, “My weekend was fun—I went to my dad’s,” don’t say, “Mine was fun, too.” Ask what her dad is like. Be nice, not nosy. 
Instead of thinking about fitting in, think about connecting to others. Friendship will follow. Honest. And real friendship can last a lifetime whereas popularity can end at graduation.
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For more on Carol Weston, visit her website, like her on Facebook, and check out her advice vids on YouTube.
To order Carol's books, Ava and Pip, Girltalk, and the Melanie Martin series, visit your indie bookstore or click here.

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by Carol Weston | 2/1/2016
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