Over the weekend, I attended a conservative women's conference featuring Stacey Dash as a keynote speaker. While her talk about living as a conservative women in modern America was inspiring, I couldn't help but think of all of the things she taught me many years ago as she starred alongside Alicia Silverstone in "Clueless." I remember curling up in my nana's living room watching this movie over and over as we laughed about the antics of the Beverly Hills girls. As I grew older and became a major Jane Austen fan, I began to appreciate it for some of its more brilliant adaptation components. Basically, it's a story I'll never grow tired of with lessons that never go out of style.
1. Never Settle for Less Than Your Idea of Perfect
Whether talking about boys or shoes, it's OK to have standards-and high ones at that. This applies to school, work, dating and basically any other part of your life. Keeping these standards will make you happier in the end.
2. You Have Control in Your Own Life
Your professor may not always change their mind about the grade you are negotiating. Your boss may not change the deadline. But it is important for you to remember that you do have the power to negotiate stick up for yourself if you think you deserve better.
3. The Small Things are Accomplishments, Too
Maybe your biggest accomplishment was getting out of bed and going to class after a late night. Not everyday is going to consist of writing an A+ paper or flying through that midterm. Some days might not even involve looking at any work at all, but that's OK.
4. Philanthropy is the Spice of Life
So, these girls may not go about it in the most expected ways, but Cher and Dionne constantly show that they care for others. Whether it's donating expensive ski equipment to a can drive or setting up two lonely teachers, the girls, albeit cluelessly, are always showing the importance of helping others.
5. Makeovers are the Ultimate Cure-All
Speaking of helping others, there seems to be no better way to do this than a makeover. These occur multiple times throughout the film and continually show the way inner beauty can be expressed with an increase in confidence.
6. Finally, Cher's Expert Dating Advice...Sort Of
So, Cher's dating advice probably isn't nearly as useful as her dating mistakes. Her many comedic dating mistakes show the ways in which it is best to embrace yourself instead of a vision in someone else's head. We can't all be baking connoisseurs.
And it's also important to remember that even the best dating plans sometimes land us flat on our face.
But eventually, Cher embraces herself and finds herself in the most adorable romance with Josh (ex-step-brother aspect excluded).
