When I was young, the most appealing thing about Disney movies was the love story. I wanted my very own prince charming. I wanted the dance at the ball. I wanted true love’s kiss. I wanted a happily ever after. As I got older and re-watched the Disney movies, I began to see that being a princess isn’t just about finding a prince. It’s about having courage and finding yourself.

Before a happily ever after happens, there is usually sacrifice, mistakes, and adversity. There is heartbreak and loss. There is courage in the face of fear. There is hope in the face of despair.

Mulan risked herself to save her father, Tatiana worked tirelessly in hopes of opening her own restaurant, and Rapunzel left everything she had ever known behind to follow her dream.

Even though these are stories meant for children, I’ve found that they offer more than just catchy tunes and colorful animations. These stories made me realize that happily ever after’s don’t just happen. None of these princesses waited for what they wanted to fall into their lap. Each princess taught me that if you want to find success, love, or happiness, you need to be brave and fight for it.

It wasn’t until I was older that I realized that everyone has had moments in their lives when they wished that someone would come and save them. Everyone has moments when life becomes scary or overwhelming and they don't want to face it alone. However, when that happens you have a choice. You can give up and become a damsel in distress, waiting to be saved by your family or your friends or a man. Or you can dust yourself off, straighten up your crown, and fight for what you want.

Whether it’s working a job that you don’t really like to save money for your future or sacrificing your time to help someone else, the best princesses (and the best people) are the ones who are willing to do whatever they can to get to where they want to be. They don’t need other people to do the work for them and they aren’t afraid to work hard for what they want.

While being called a ‘princess’ can sometimes have a negative connotation to it, I prefer to think of a princess as someone who only gets the ‘happily ever after’ after fighting like hell for it. I prefer to think of them as someone whose happiness comes from all of the hard work, sacrifice, and chances they took.

So when you are having a rough time, just remember that being a damsel who needs saving will never be as good as being a princess who earns her crown.