Picking on Cinderella will probably not put me in very good stead with the spirit of Walt Disney or millions of children and adults who love this fairy tale and its main character. But there are some lessons here that can only be described by being somewhat irreverent about that poor woman.
First, I’ll give Cinderella credit for being a hard worker around the house, but after that, we'll take a look at what she did or didn’t do.
She watched while the mice made her a dress for the Ball and cried while her step sisters tore it to pieces. She looked on while her fairy Godmother made all of the things she needed for a night out, then waited for the Prince to ask her to dance, and followed that passive behavior by sitting in her house while he searched for her.
So much for assertive behavior.
The fairy tale ending in this story is, of course, a happy one, but this isn’t a realistic life outcome. Sit around and have others do things for you. Wait around for a happy ending and yours may not be as “happy.” Instead you can do the modern-day equivalent of helping the mice, backing down your step sisters, asking the Prince for a dance and seeking him out later if he rates it.
If you don’t you may need seven little guys to bail you out…but that’s another story. |
