Last night I dreamt that I was in a beauty contest with all the girls in my school. I was picked as a finalist along with two other girls and then we had an intermission. I socialized, and when I returned to the auditorium I realized I was late and had to rush up on stage to join the dance number all the girls were a part of. When I got up on stage I couldn’t move! Finally, when I got in my place on stage I didn’t know the dance and made a fool of myself! Then it was time to pick the winner of the contest. It turns out that that none of the finalists won and they choose another girl. What does that mean?

--Cass, Age 15, Berlin, NJ, USA

Hi Cass -

Isn’t school like one giant beauty contest sometimes? Some days it can feel like people think you’re cool or not - just because of what you’re wearing or whether you say the right things. There’s a lot more pressure at school than just worrying about our grades and homework. It’s no wonder you took a few wrong steps in that dance routine!

If life - and school - really was a beauty contest, then one of those “beauty queen” finalists certainly would have won. I think one of the messages of your dream may be that “looks aren’t everything.” The real winner in your dream had something better than good looks and all the right moves. I think you already may have learned that it’s what’s on the inside that counts - even though it may not always appear that way.

Brains, kindness, honesty, a good personality, an ability to laugh at ourselves...or maybe even just a good laugh - these are qualities that will count the most in the long run. Just because they’re harder to see doesn’t mean they’re less important. Why don’t you try an experiment? Try talking to some of the people in your school who aren’t lined up to win the next beauty or popularity contest based on looks and clothes - and see what cool qualities lurk inside. You’ll be surprised!