Carrie Bradshaw, from Sex and The City, has experienced just about every type of relationship you can think of. She has dated a millionaire businessman, a carpenter, a famous Russian artist, a man living in a mental institution, a recovering alcoholic, a doctor, a writer, and many more. She dates a total of 25 men throughout the TV series before she finally settles down with the one and only, Mr. Big. Carrie can be considered what is called a hopeless romantic, someone who believes that true love exists, and will stop at nothing until she finds it.
“I’m looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-without-each-other love.” Carrie Bradshaw
Six seasons and one movie later, Carrie Bradshaw finally gets the ultimate bachelor to commit to her. John James Preston, also known as Mr. Big, has put Carrie through hell and back as she struts around the streets of New York City in her Manolo Blahnik heels. Luckily for us, her ups and downs during her relationships have taught us many things about love so that we hopefully won’t have to experience it for ourselves.
“Don’t forget to fall in love with yourself, first.” Carrie Bradshaw.
The most important lesson that Ms. Bradshaw has taught us is this: love yourself first. If you don’t love yourself, then how is anybody else supposed to love you? No man will ever make you happier than you can make yourself. So in between relationships, don’t focus on finding another person to date, focus on you. Go out with your girlfriends and make memories, and when it is time, someone will come into your life and sweep you off your feet.
“Some people are settling down, some are settling and some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies.” Carrie Bradshaw
Another very important lesson discussed throughout the series is that it is perfectly okay to not settle. No matter how old you are, if you are not completely in love with the person you are dating, then it may be time to get out of that relationship. You should be with someone who makes you feel like you never have felt before, overwhelmed with excitement and happiness and love. They should make you question how you ever lived before you met them because the connection is just that powerful.
“After all, seasons change, so do cities; people come into your life and people go. But it’s comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart. And if you’re very lucky, a plane ride away.” Carrie Bradshaw
Although the list of love lessons that Carrie Bradshaw has taught us could go on forever, I want to leave you with this last bit of information that being obsessed with Sex and the City has taught me: life goes on. No matter how many breakups you experience or the number of times a relationship doesn’t turn out the way you thought it would, remember that something better is waiting for you just around the corner. In Carrie’s case, it was Mr. Big and a penthouse apartment in New York City. Every relationship is different and there are no set standards for what they should be like, so take each day like it’s your first and experience as many new things as you can, both in life and with love.
“The most exciting, challenging and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you find someone to love the you, you love, well, that's just fabulous.” Carrie Bradshaw
