Growing up, Lizzie McGuire was my hero. She was more than just my favorite character on TV; I felt understood when I watched her show. Her shy but passionate persona (as well as her sassy cartoon alter-ego) truly exemplified what being a teenaged girl in the 2000’s was like. Here are 5 important lessons that I learned from Lizzie:
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Trusting myself, my ideas, and my character.
If there was one thing that Lizzie McGuire stood for, it was independence. I learned from her to trust myself and my own ideas, and to not let anyone diminish them or take them away from me.
2. What “girl power” is all about.
Lizzie (and the feistier, cartoon version of Lizzie) was proud of what it meant to be a girl, and in turn, made me proud of all things girly. Her and Miranda instilled in me what is “girl power”; believing in yourself and your capabilities as a girl.
3. To find something that I love, and work hard at it.
The quote above is pretty self-explanatory. Lizzie taught me that it is not worth my time or energy to become invested in something that I do not love. Instead, she encouraged viewers to find something that they are passionate about, and work hard at that.
4. The importance of being a true friend.
There is nothing as important as remaining a true, honest, and loyal friend. This is something that Lizzie always demonstrated to her viewers, specifically in her friendships with Miranda and Gordo. No matter how often or severely they fought, Lizzie made it clear that she would always be there for them at the end of the day.
*And, most importantly:* 5. To not care what people think about me.
Lizzie is the perfect example of a girl who wants to “fit in” and be popular, but will not compromise herself in anyway to accomplish this. She understood that being true to herself was more important than what others thought of her, which is a lesson that I have internalized and hope to radiate. Lizzie taught me the importance of remaining true to the girl you were raised to be, and that nothing anyone has to say matters in the slightest if it means having to abandon that girl.