Love Yourself First
Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha each have their own romantic struggles but overall we see them prioritize themselves throughout the series. For example, Carrie Bradshaw always prioritizes her writing, her sex column where she is able to embrace the events that are going on in her life, reflect, and grow. She realizes later on in the series that Mr. Big her total love interest does not complete her. She learns that loving herself is fulfilling enough. We see Samantha Jones as the ultimate self-love queen. Samantha never settled throughout this entire series. She prioritizes her own success and never apologizes for who she truly is. Charlotte York, is known for falling in love at every corner. However sometimes her love interest doesn’t work out for her, and she realizes that instead of finding fairytales, the lesson here is to love yourself, that is the best fairytale ending of all. And last but certainly not least we have Miranda Hobbs. She is a career-driven woman and throughout the series we see her trying to balance everything within her life. Her journey is finding her own version of happiness, where she is able to embrace her accomplishments and not focus so much on her career but her on interests that bring her joy.
Season 4, Episode 1 – “The Agony and the Ex-tacy”
After being left alone on her 35th birthday Carrie has an epiphany: “The most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself.” What we can all learn from this moment is at the end of the day we truly have ourselves. Knowing that the one person that you are always going to have in your life, continuously, is yourself. So why not prioritize the person that you know is going to show up for you every time. Making yourself happy and loving who you are comes before anything. This scene embodies this message.
Season 6, Episode 20 – “An American Girl in Paris (Part Deux)”
Carrie loses herself in her relationship with Aleksandr Petrovsky, putting his own needs before hers. She even moves to Paris in order to be closer with him, leaving her whole life behind in New York. However within this episode she realizes she’s not happy with this choice. She is constantly alone, with no friends or family, in a place she doesn’t know the language. She finally chooses herself, and leaves. This decision ultimately led her back to the love she truly deserved.
Friends Can Be Your True Soulmates
Men may come and go, but your best friends are forever. In this show, we see the four friends always prioritizing each other. Proving to us that friendships at times are more important than a romantic relationship. You can truly have more than one soulmate, and these girls are truly four true soulmates.
Season 4, Episode 2 – “The Real Me”
Wow, this season was just full of remarkable soulmate moments from these girls. We have another time where friendship exceeded expectations and showed true love and admiration. Carrie was apprehensive of an offer that was given which included her walking in a fashion show. But of course, she takes the opportunity and does it because why not? However, during this fashion show, she trips on the runway, but fear not, her friends cheer her on and push her to get up and keep going. Samantha even shouts, “You’re a model!” proving that true friends are there to lift you up when you fall—literally and figuratively.
Season 4, Episode 1 – “The Agony and the Ex-tacy”
Back to this episode, we have another lesson. Like I said before it is the one and only Carrie Bradshaw’s 35th birthday. However, she gets to the restaurant and realizes that all of her friends are late. She ends up going home alone. While at home Charlotte comes to her apartment and is profusely apologizing. It seems as though everyone either got stuck in traffic or an emergency occurred. But this does not stop Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha from still making her day special. They take her to the café down the block, and Carrie reveals to them that she’s never felt more alone. That no man, not even Mr. Big showed up for her special day, she longs for a soulmate. Charlotte says “Maybe we could be each others soulmates”. Proving once again that your girls will be by your side, forever and always.
Never Settle for Less
From Charlotte leaving Trey to Samantha refusing to be tied down, the show teaches us not to settle in any aspect of our lives. Knowing that our happiness is what matters most. You do not want to do something that does not feel authentic to you. There have been multiple times throughout this series that these women have had to stay true to themselves and make some hard choices, but always for the better.
Season 2, Episode 18 – “Ex and the City”
Carrie finally realizes that Mr. Big will never give her the commitment she deserves. She tells him, “I am someone who is looking for love. Real love. Ridiculous, inconvenient, consuming, can’t-live-without-each-other love.” This moment shows that settling for a man who won’t meet her emotional needs isn’t an option. He is just holding her back from opportunities and happiness. She realizes she can’t sit there wondering, begging, and wanting something that Mr. Big just won’t and can’t offer.
Season 3, Episode 10 – “All or Nothing”
Charlotte ending her marriage with Trey was huge. After crazy dreams, back-and-forth thoughts, and finally coming to a decision, she realizes both emotional and physical needs cannot be met by Trey. From the outside they seem as though they are perfect, but within she knows she can not waste the rest of her life with a man who displeases her in some very important ways.
As I rewatched Sex and the City I found so many lessons that we could all learn from. These are just a few, but I know there are many more. Whether it’s learning about self-love, or that your friends can truly be your soulmate, or never settling for less, this series has shown us to be mindful of the choices we make. Know that it is important to choose you and your happiness.