You aren’t famous!

And other people aren’t thinking about you as much as you would like to think!

Yes, when they see your latest post, they think about you for a second, or when they see you at school, but the rest of the time, they are probably thinking about themselves, or wondering how many people saw their last post. If your TikTok post blows up, then they will start thinking about how they can get in one with you so they can catch the spotlight.

At a minimum, there are 17,000,000 uploads on TikTok daily. So, my advice is to use all the energy you are putting into being popular, into being a better student-a better son or daughter-a better friend!

I know the title sounds blunt, but we are all really moving through our days concerned about ourselves. If you want to be concerned about who is thinking about you, look to your parents, siblings, counselors, administrators and teachers. And try to find a few close friends that have your back. Worry about what they think about you before anyone else.

One of the things seniors in high school start to realize during the spring semester is that most of their teachers were really trying to help them be better people more than filling them with information. I have taught high school for a long time, and yes, there are exceptions, but most teachers really care and will go the extra mile to help you.

If you are ready for real change, and have the courage - start caring about other people more! You will be amazed at how your perception changes about yourself. Show up to school on the first day and ask your friends and teachers how their summers were, and then . . .

just listen.