• It all started when I decided that my usual routine—tripping over my own feet, accidentally liking a crush’s five-year-old Instagram post, and generally being an awkward mess—needed an upgrade.

You ever have one of those days where you wake up and think, Today, I’m gonna be cool? Yeah, me too. And let me tell you, it didn’t go as planned.

It all started when I decided that my usual routine—tripping over my own feet, accidentally liking a crush’s five-year-old Instagram post, and generally being an awkward mess—needed an upgrade. I was going to reinvent myself. Walk like I owned the world. Talk like I had all the answers. Become the kind of teen that movie characters are based on.

First stop: the mirror. I gave myself a pep talk. "You are confident. You are fearless. You are… still wearing your old SpongeBob pajamas. Change, quickly."

Once I looked the part (kind of), I strutted into school like I had theme music playing. But five steps in, I stepped on my own shoelace and went down like a fallen hero. Right in front of the popular kids. One of them clapped. I don't know if it was out of respect or pure entertainment.

Lesson 1: "Confidence is key, but tying your shoes is also pretty important."

Still, I refused to let that shake me. I stood up, dusted off my pride, and walked into class. Today was the day I was going to finally raise my hand and say something smart. I waited for the perfect moment. The teacher asked a deep question about Shakespeare, and I smirked. Time to shine.

"Yeah, uh… I think Romeo and Juliet is, like, a metaphor for… life. Because, um… love is, like, hard, you know?"

Silence. Someone coughed. The teacher blinked at me.

Lesson 2: "It’s okay to take risks, but maybe prepare a little first."

By lunch, my confidence was wobbling, but I wasn’t giving up yet. I decided to join the basketball game outside, because nothing says cool like casually making a three-pointer. I ran onto the court, ready to impress… and the ball hit me directly in the face. My new ‘cool’ persona? Shattered. My nose? Possibly also shattered.

Lesson 3: "Failure isn’t the end of the world—unless you let it be."

So yeah, my journey to coolness didn’t exactly work out. But you know what? The next day, when I tripped again but laughed it off instead of dying of embarrassment, something weird happened—other people laughed with me, not at me. Turns out, being cool isn’t about acting perfect. It’s about owning your awkwardness, trying new things, and not taking yourself too seriously.

So if you ever have a day where you fail spectacularly, just remember:
"A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant."
And if that doesn’t work, just tie your shoelaces. Seriously.