I read an article about the “You’re Not a Princess” ad campaign created for Mercy Academy, an all-girl Catholic preparatory school in Louisville, Kentucky; and I thought: THANK YOU!!!

Mercy Academy, Image on Business Insider

It’s wonderful to imagine sitting around, doing absolutely nothing, and waiting for a prince to come along. But, what is the goal? To simply get a man?

Women need to stop being so helpless, and adults need to stop coddling this behavior in young girls (and other women). If you want something in life, it’s up to you to go after it. It is impossible to be successful in all aspects of life if you’re constantly waiting for someone else to come to your rescue.

“The damaging aspect of princess culture is that it tells girls that good looks and/or a Prince Charming are all you need to get by in life, so why work hard or set goals? Being a princess is hardly the worst thing in the world, but it’s important to tell girls that they can — and should — be so much more (Huffington Post, retrieved 11/17/2013).”

I am sure that I imagined myself as a princess when I was little, but it was for whimsical play. I didn’t try to carry this behavior into my teen years or into adulthood because “Princess” is only a real-life option for monarchies in foreign countries. (Pack your bags and move. Here is the list of current sovereign monarchs.) 98% of the world will never be royals. That’s reality. And, from what I’ve seen, most real-life princes do not look like Prince Charming. (The idea of a codpiece in today’s times may bring on laughs and looks.)

Josh Dallas as “Prince Charming” in ABC’s Once Upon a Time

When I graduated high school and was trying to figure out what I wanted to be in life, my high school boyfriend (and still a very good friend today) told me that I would need to pursue a career that would allow me to have everything I wanted. It wasn’t going to be handed to me. He wasn’t being rude, and he wasn’t saying that he wouldn’t take care of me. He was being real and honest. He wanted to be (and he is now) a school teacher. That was the career he was pursing, and it was the career that was going to make him happy. (Both of his parents were teachers.) It would have been extremely selfish (absolutely deplorable) of me to ask him to pursue another career, and potentially be miserable, in order for me to live my dreams. That doesn’t even make sense.

It seems like such a long time ago that we had this conversation, and it is probably something that he has since forgotten. But, I still remember it. I turned it into my personal mantra: “if I want something in life, it’s up to me to go after it.” It’s hard, but it has made my life extremely interesting. I have had so many life experiences. I have so many stories. I have met so many people. None of it would have happened if I had waited on someone else to “rescue me.”

Mercy Academy, Image on Business Insider

So, what can a young girl be if she is not a princess? Independent. Self-sufficient. She can grow up and rule the world. Amy Elstone, principal at Mercy Academy says: “[girls can] write their own story in life. (Business Insider, retrieved 17 Nov. 2013).”

We can make our own happy ending. I like that.

Related – GoldieBlox

On Upworthy: “If 3 Little Girls Did This To My House, I’d Do Everything I Could To Get Them Full Rides To Stanford” by Adam Mordecai

On TechCrunch: “GoldieBlox, The Toy That Aims To Get Girls Hooked On Engineering, Is Coming To A Toys ‘R’ Us Near You” by Colleen Taylor

“The inventor and CEO of GoldieBlox, Debbie Sterling, totally went to Stanford to get her fancy engineering degree.” Watch Debbie Sterling’s story on Vimeo. She’s not saying to stop dressing up because she likes doing that too.

More than just a princess t-shirt. GoldieBlox.com

References

Feloni, Richard. (18 November 2013). Why Every Little Girl In Louisville Is Being Told ‘You’re Not A Princess.’ Business Insider.

‘You Are Not A Princess’ Ads From Mercy Academy Tell Girls They Can Be So Much More. (13 November 2013). Huffington Post.

Wagner, Kurt. (15 November 2013). ‘You’re Not A Princess’ Ad Campaign Pushes Female Empowerment. Mashable.