Like most young girls, I spent most of my formative years watching Disney movies. I would come home from preschool and force my mother to watch “Hercules” for the 100th time in three days. I would beg my mother to play “Sleeping Beauty” on Sunday morning while my dad made French toast.
I was mesmerized by the stories, by the adventures, the characters, and yes, the love stories. And although I didn’t realize it at the time, the Disney princesses were teaching me a lot about life.
Since then, I've grown up and lived my life, but that doesn't mean I've forgotten what Disney has taught me.
1. Being kind doesn’t make you weak.
It always amazed me that Cinderella was able to turn the other cheek when her stepmother and her stepsisters were being terrible to her. For a long time, I thought that made her weak, but as I’ve grown up, I’ve realized that Cinderella was one of the strongest princesses. She is able to stay kind in the face of adversity, and it is that kindness that ultimately leads her to her happy ending.
2. It’s important to leave your comfort zone.
So, technically, I was already a teenager when “Tangled” came out, and I was well on my way to growing up, but the great thing about Disney is that it can teach you life lessons at any age. And Rapunzel taught teenage me, who was so concerned with staying in her own lane, that sometimes you have to leave your comfort zone to get anything done in the world.
3. Your approval is the only one that matters.
Pocahontas is torn throughout the entire movie between doing what she believes is “right” by her tribe and what she believes is “right” in her heart. Ultimately, she is the happiest when she realizes that the opinion of others is not important, and as long as she can live with herself, that is all that matters.
4. Being a girl does not make you weak.
I think every young girl should watch “Mulan” once in their life, just to see that you don’t have to be the prince to save the day.
5. Beauty is skin deep.
I think we can all agree that Belle taught us this super important life lesson. She loves the Beast for who he is, not what he looks like. (Another important thing Belle taught us - if you meet a man who eats an astonishing number of eggs every morning to "get large" he's probably a f*ck boy. Avoid at all costs.)
6. Don’t let anyone stop you from pursuing your dreams.
Tiana is one of my favorite Disney princesses. She takes sh*t from no one, works tirelessly to get where she wants to be in life, and never gives up. There is so much anyone can learn from her, but pushing forward in the face of adversity to achieve your goals is the one that most resonates with me.
7. Learning to look at things from a new perspective is not a bad thing.
Elinor and Merida’s mother-daughter relationship might be one of the most realistic things Disney has ever put out (aside from the part of the movie where Elinor turns into a bear, but I digress). Their inability to see from the other’s point of view is such a classic issue for parents and children, but in the end, it’s such an important skill to have, whether it’s simply understanding why your mom doesn’t want you to do that thing, or why someone believes something that you simply can’t wrap your head around. You don’t have to end up completely agreeing with the other person but understanding where they're coming from is important.
8. You are no one’s property.
This was perhaps a life lesson that I did not fully understand at the tender age of six or seven, but Jasmine taught me very early on in life that I am my own person, my worth is not defined by a man, and I am a princess, regardless of whether or not I have a prince to share my life with.
9. Sometimes, your elders know what they're talking about.
I know Aurora was never specifically told "don't go near any spinning wheels," but she was warned about the dangers of the world, and she didn't pay attention to them. Our elders are our elders for a reason, and though it is important to learn from the mistakes you make, sometimes those mistakes can be avoided by simply listening to those who know better.
10. If you have to change who you are for someone to love you, it’s not really love.
Ariel is my least favorite Disney princess (I know, I know, I’m in the minority here) but that doesn’t mean she didn’t teach me anything. She trades the thing she loves the most – her voice – for a pair of legs so that she can meet Eric and fall in love. It’s so tempting to want to change things about ourselves so that people will like us, but the right person will love you for who you are, not for a mold you are trying to fill.
