Are the popular kids still running your life? Sure, you’re a competent, confident grown-up, more worried about your kids or family members being bullied than yourself, but that doesn’t mean you’re immune to caving in to the popular kids. Before you pooh-pooh the idea, consider…

How much time do you spend comparing yourself, or your stuff, to other people and their stuff?

Checked Facebook lately? Felt slighted because no one “liked” your latest post? Feeling badly because everyone seems to be having a more fun, exciting life than you?

Does an innocuous compliment from a stranger make you glow, like an approving word from your kindergarten teacher would have?

Do you read gossip magazines?

Do you go-along-to-get-along even when it’s uncomfortable for you? Examples: joining the work bunch for lunch out when it’s doesn’t fit your budget; having that piece of cake even though you and your medical conditions don’t’ think it’s a good idea, or contributing to yet another office pool for a lottery ticket or shower gift?

If you have interests that are outside the typical range, do you hide your light under a bushel basket because you worry others will think you’re odd? Not mentioning it because you are a private person is different; if you are selectively mentioning the activities you believe other people will “get” and never mentioning your passion for volunteering at the museum or reading everything you can about the history of aviation (because they aren’t “cool” in the popular people’s opinions), then you are caving in to the popular.

Are you picking up the slack for people beyond the point of it being part of being a good team player and developing a more-than-sneaking suspicion that it’s a one-sided deal?

In short…are you letting the popular kids run your life?

Wasn’t the misery of the middle school cafeteria experience enough for you?…Or are you reliving just a little bit of that, every day?

D Puterbaugh © 2015