Annie (AKA Hey Terra!) has been around long enough to have experienced a lot of what Life can dish out. But, it hasn’t been so long that she's forgotten what it's like to be your age. Check out some of the thousands of email questions teens from around the world have sent to Terra. You may learn something useful from her answers:
Self-esteem:
“I can't figure out who I am.”
Hey Terra,
I'm lost in life and I just don't seem to know how to get on the right path. I don't even know who I am or my personality or anything. Everything is just closed up and the paths are blocked off. I can't even figure out what kinda person I am. I've always wanted to be the perfect person or like my friends cuz they are all better than me. It's because they get the guys I like, especially the guy I like right now who likes this other girl. And then they are prettier than me and popular and I'm like a geek and a nerd and a loser and just a horrible person. They have better hair and better skin and they are cooler and I'm like uggh.Please please help.
Clueless
Dear Clueless,
Whoah, Clueless! You're being awfully harsh on yourself, don't you think? I mean if someone said to a friend of yours "You're a geek, and a nerd and a loser and just a horrible person" would you defend your friend? And if she was saying those things about herself, wouldn't you step right in and point out all the great things that she is? I'm sure you would! Because you're a good friend to your friends. Then why are you such a lousy friend to yourself? Why would you say those hurtful damaging things to yourself? Why would you even THINK them?
In friendship,
Terra
Need some advice? Write to Terra.
She'll give you a straight answer you can trust without any lectures.
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