"I acted too shy around my crush"

Dear Anya,

It’s okay! Don’t beat yourself up over being shy around your crush! We all get that way – its human nature! They key now is learning from this experience so next time around, rather than ignoring your crush and pretending he doesn’t exist, instead you exude confidence and act calm, collected and cool and actually – gasp – talk to him!

So what have we learned? Stop feeling badly! Don’t feel horrible or that you did anything wrong. You absolutely didn’t! You acted the part of a 14-year-old girl who has a crush on a boy. We’ve all been there! I have too! And while there may not be a whole lot you can do regarding this particular boy because he has a girlfriend, start building up your confidence and self-esteem.

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it a million more times – confidence is the single most attractive quality in human beings. Whether you realize it or not, you’re attracted to someone who’s sure of himself and is proud of who he is. So Anya, why not act in that manner, too? And even if at first you don’t truly feel that way about yourself on the inside, fake it till you make it! And pretty soon, you won’t be faking it anymore. And I guarantee you, others will notice! And by others, I of course mean all the boys in your class who have crushes on you!

Good luck!
Marissa