1. Be kind to yourself.

The biggest enemy towards you is yourself. You compare yourself to other people and sometimes, that makes it easy to set high exceptions for yourself. It's okay to have goals, but go easy on yourself. Remember that you are a human being just like everyone else. You are going to mess up and make mistakes in life and that's totally fine. Be kind and encourage yourself.

2. Being popular does not matter as much as you think.

I think it's human nature to always want more and more. It's hard for us to settle with exactly what we get. Being popular does not matter as much as you think it does. Even the most popular people find themselves caught up in their loneliness. Something I have learned so far in life is that all you really need is a few good, close friends that understand you, support you, and encourage you. Find those friends and don't try and achieve this "popular" status because you will never find perfection in that.

3. Figure out what brings you joy.

Life is always going to bring you ups and downs. You may not make the grades you want. You may not get accepted to your dream school. You may not have enough money. That's how life works, but something I have noticed is that if you find the things that bring you real joy, it's a lot easier to feel better during the "downs" of life. Maybe it's fitness or photography or music or painting. Whatever it is, find it and consistency stick with it because it will become your anchor during the hard times.

4. You don't need a guy/girl to be happy.

Sometimes, it's hard to be single. You see pictures of all these couples, and you just want to find your perfect person too. However, you don't need that guy or girl in order to be happy. Being single is actually a really fun thing because you literally just get to figure out who you are as a person and spend time with yourself. Don't obsess over finding your perfect person. It will happen at the perfect time and trust that. Find out who you are and learn to love yourself, first.

5. Treat your parents well.

Your parents are there to help you and support you. They really do want the best for you. Treat them so well. Obey them and be kind to them even if they embarrass you or irritate you. One day, you are gonna be far away from home and just want to talk to them all the time. Use your time with them now while you can.

6. The power of prayer is real.

Pray. Prayer is a thing that we really do not talk enough about. Prayer is amazing. You get to literally talk to the Lord about everything that is going on in your life. You can tell Him "the good" and "the bad" and just let it all out. Pray for other people too. Pray for the people at your school, for the country, for your best friends, etc. Just pray and let that become your safe haven.