Alright, girls, let’s be honest for a minute. I think almost all of us have, at some point in time, dreamed of having a “Cinderella” fairytale. I mean, who wouldn’t love to have a story like that of their own? She gets her dream guy—one who seems impossible to get—in such a perfect way. There’s the “love at first sight” ideal moment, some drama and suspense, and a true love that reigns over all barriers (including annoying step sisters!). It seems like such an impossible ideal, but I think there’s a lot to learn from Cinderella.
First of all, don’t keep waiting, but never stop dreaming. Your ideal guy IS out there, you just have to wait! Many times, your perfect fairytale isn’t actually your idea. Most couples meet in a completely unexpected way. One woman in my life who recently got married told me, “It was when I stopped looking that I found my true love.” It’s when you STOP worrying and searching for the right guy that you tend to find exactly what you’re looking for and more. So don’t waste your life away WAITING! Just keep living your life to the fullest, and let Prince Charming find you himself, because trust me, if you are meant to be together, nothing will keep you apart! But in that, never stop dreaming. Never give up hope that you will find your Prince Charming. He will come, in the perfect way, at the perfect time!
Secondly, know that your Prince Charming is never too good for you. So in that fact, realize two things: first of all, you shouldn’t think you’re not good enough for anyone, and second, your Prince Charming shouldn’t feel he’s too good for you. Cinderella doubted herself multiple times, wondering why on earth a prince would fall for someone like her. However, in this, I’m sure the prince wondered why someone like her would fall for him, either. When you find your Prince Charming, you should both feel as though you’ve found someone too good to be true. Don’t fall for anyone who won’t treat you as any less than the princess that you are!! With that, don’t lower your standards for anyone. Make a list of every trait you want your “perfect guy” to have, and I can guarantee your perfect guy will meet all those standards and more! Even if he doesn’t match the description perfectly, his flaws should be ones that do not make you lower any of your standards. They will just be small differences that still make him perfect in your eyes.
Thirdly, there WILL be trials. Even Cinderella had trials throughout her fairytale! I mean, she had to deal with an evil stepmother and two evil stepsisters, with no one to stand up for her at home. Above that, she ran away from the ball knowing that the prince had no idea who she was, thinking she would never see him again, and she even lost one of her prized glass slippers! (I think that may be a VERY big issue for some of us!) It is VERY unlikely that your story will play out without any troubles or hiccups. But that’s how it should work! Think of how boring Cinderella would have been if she didn’t have any of those problems. Cinderella would have grown up in a nice castle of her own with her dad, she would have gone to the ball with all the other girls, she would have met the prince, they would have fallen in love and gotten married the next day, and all would have been well in the kingdom. Snore. Besides it being super boring, you can’t grow without trials and problems. It’s through facing these issues that we learn about both ourselves and others. So push through the problems! They will come, but if it is meant to be, everything will work out!
Finally, WAIT. I do not mean spend your life just waiting for the perfect guy; rather, I mean wait to label someone as your Prince Charming. Don’t throw yourself at the first guy who comes your way. Guard your heart, because it’s the only heart you get. You are a prize, and you should wait for the one who will treat you as such. Just don’t rush yourself into your fairytale—you have your whole life ahead of you, and when your true fairytale happens, it will have been worth waiting for!!
So let’s go over our lessons from Cinderella…
- Don’t waste your life waiting, but never stop dreaming!
- Your Prince Charming is never too good for you, and he should treat you like the princess you are!
- Your fairytale will not go without trouble—there WILL be bumps in the road, just keep pushing through!
- WAIT to find your true Prince Charming. Don’t put up barriers, but guard your heart wisely, because you are a prize to be won!
Remember that everything will work out as it is supposed to. Don’t stress about finding the right guy, because the right guy will find you! Just be yourself, live your life, and get ready to write your own perfect story!
Rebecca Mitchell is a college freshman at the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama majoring in Elementary Education. Originally from Ijamsville, Maryland, Rebecca was a participant in the Distinguished Young Women program and was selected as the Distinguished Young Woman of Maryland for 2011. Learn more about Rebecca here!
