Ask me about life and I’ll tell you one of the biggest mistakes I’ve made. I grew up with the mindset that popularity was the best thing. Everyone looked so happy and it seemed like there was no other options, but to be popular. All my life I have had nice clothes and popular friends. Those two factors seemed key to being happy in life. Reality check: you don’t need any of this to be happy. You don’t need popular friends or nice clothes.

Settling for popular friends will lead you down the road to asking yourself why. It will put you in a bad position. The popular kids look happy, but it’s all an illusion. They really are not happy. They try to keep up with what looks best and what looks best is not the best. They go to parties, they drink, do drugs, hook up. All of this leads to so much worse things, they lie to their parents, bring other people down to their level, but most of all, they lose trust and security in themselves.

I realized at such a young age that these kids were not the right kids for me to hang out with. The worst part about realizing this, is realizing that you are stuck. As Mark Twain said, “It’s easier to stay out than get out.” I now believe that 100%. If you stay out of the popularity, there is no pressure. But once you’re in the group, it’s not easy to leave. If there is one thing I could take back, it’s settling for bad friends.

People settle for bad friends because they are lonely and insecure. I did not know that there was anything better in this world than to be popular. Now, I know that there is more fulfilling things in life than popularity.

Bad friends corrupt good character. How could you call someone your best friend if they want to bring you down with them. When I say bring down I mean make you do things that you do not want to do, things that they are doing, and a bad friend would make you do this just so he or she does not feel like they are the only person doing it.

Popular kids are so insecure. They are lost and looking for answers in all the wrong places. They want to bring others down with them. For these kids, it’s all about image. You’re either cool or you’re not, and if you’re not, well you’re lucky.

I am stuck and I hate it, I am a deep person and these kids don’t even know me. They don’t know me because they don’t have time to get to know me, They are too concerned with finding a new boyfriend or going to another party. It kills me to see these girls everyday because I can’t be myself around them. I can be myself, but I don’t know if they would still treat me the same way or if they would think that I am a loser. I say that I don’t care what they think, but I do care a little bit, and if I didn’t then I wouldn’t be hanging out with them.

I can count my closest friends on one hand or less and that’s all I need. I have one best friend. She doesn’t hang out with the popular crowd and she’s smart. I wish I was as strong as her. Strong enough to not care what people think. She has helped me find my way back to who I really am and I honestly don’t think I can find a better friend than her.

Some would say I’m lucky, but I’m not sure. I have a couple key people in my life who I know will help me in whatever situation that I’m in. I can see life clearly, even though what I do know and believe, I do not apply to my own life, but I’m working on it. I’m stuck, but some would say that I’m lucky enough to even know that I’m stuck.

I’m not really sure about this life and what it has to offer. But then again, no one is really sure of that. I’m just trying to take what this world has to offer. This life and this world have given me so many internal challenges and I have succeeded many. All I need to do is apply them to this life, and that is the next step. The next step is proving everyone wrong. Those who said I’m just a typical popular kid, apparently don’t know me. So before you judge a popular kid, remember me and remember that there are other popular kids out there who are just like me, stuck.