As a girl who grew up on "The Lion King" and "Bambi," I didn't fully understand until recently the obsession that many females have with Disney princesses. These characters show women of all ages the different forms of strength, dignity, and the importance of believing in yourself. However, I have since branched out into several genres of movies with a plethora of different female leads. Each of these strong women have an important lesson to share if only you look deep enough. For example, on the outside Ariel may look like a ditzy redhead who enjoys daydreaming. However, she teaches us that it's OK to disagree with our parents, that going after our dreams is worth it, and that our voice is our most powerful gift.

Let's take a foray into the movie world and explore what we can discover from these strong female characters!

1. Getting attached is scary, but that's OK.

Beca from "Pitch Perfect" had a tendency to push people who cared for her away. She thought that it was just easier to push people away than to let them in and potentially have them leave her, just as she thought her father did when he divorced her mother. However, she realized that those who cared for her were in it for the long-run and she could lean on them in times of need.

2. Our sisters are our best friends.

Through good times and bad, your sister will be there for you no matter what. Even if you're not currently getting along, your sister will still watch out for you and make sure that you're OK. Anna let her sister Elsa know that she was loved even though it seemed like the rest of the world was against her.

3. We're not delicate flowers.

Boundaries and rules may be placed for our protection, but they don't define us. Some rules are meant to be broken, regardless of the intentions. Rapunzel taught us that if we let someone tell us that we can't do something, it will limit our potential. So escape from the tower and go explore!

4. In fact, girls are powerful!

Korra taught us that girls can kick butt too! Even though many people underestimated her, she always came through and rendered them all speechless. Even when she lost her Avatar abilities, she was still strong-willed; while there were moments of weakness like we are all prone to, she came out even stronger in the end.

5. It's OK to say no.

For some reason, there's a weird notion going around that women owe men their affections. Wrong. No matter how ardently they claim to love you, it is perfectly OK to say no. Like Elizabeth, it is OK to question the character of a man, and based on perceptions, to decline their affections (even if that someone is the dreamy Mr. Darcy).

We live in a world that views women as weaker or more incompetent than men. While we may be physically smaller, we are not worse than our male counterparts. There are so many things being thrown at young women either through media, society, or even perhaps their own friends and family. These characters, however, teach girls that they are people too, and as such, are allowed to state their opinions, are strong, are allowed to say no, and are capable of a great many things. Take a cue from these women and live up to your full potential!