Rachel Green definitely had an enormous glow-up throughout the ten seasons of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. She started out as a spoiled little brat who left her wedding and lived with Monica, unable to sustain herself—and then turned into a successful woman pursuing her dreams, working hard to earn her living, learning lessons through love and life, and always managing to have the best fashion sense on the set of the show.
- Take Back Your Life
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Rachel Green had been following her mother’s legacy, trying to marry a wealthy man just so she can have a good life. However, in the pursuit of that legacy, Rachel lost track of all the things she wanted to do and all the goals that she wanted to pursue. Living with Monica, making new friends, moving to New York City, and getting out of that trust fund baby lifestyle was all part of Rachel’s plan to start her life over again and take back control of her own life.
- Don’t Ever Stop Working Hard
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Rachel Green always had a passion for fashion, and instead of just sitting there and allowing her talents to go to waste, she put all her effort into finding a job where she could help out as a sales consultant. And soon enough, as she kept working hard and showing her bosses that she was a valuable asset, she climbed the ladder of success until she was at the top, working her dream job at Ralph Lauren.
- If It’s Meant To Be, It’ll Happen
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“We were on a break!” is one of the most iconic lines from F.R.I.E.N.D.S. The thing with Rachel and Ross is that they kept thinking they were over, yet they didn’t follow through with it—instead they consistently followed their hearts, no matter how stupid and irresponsible it may seemed. Rachel taught her audience that if something is meant to be, it will happen, and if your heart feels like it is a good decision, it just very well may be.
- Confidence Is Key
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Rachel Green was always confident. Even if she didn’t exactly know what she was doing—ahem, cooking that trifle—she gave it her absolute best shot. And if Rachel ever made a mistake, she always made sure she laughed about it and made everything into a lighter mood. Rachel faced difficult situations with grace, humor, and independence and always made sure to have everyone laughing at the end of an episode.
- Love Your Friends Unconditionally
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Rachel was always there for her friends. Ever since that fateful first Pilot episode when she joined their Central Park family, Rachel has been an iconic member and an amazing friend. From being there to comfort Monica during her sticky situations with Richard; to being there for Joey and his acting issues; to being there for Ross whenever he needed her even in between relationships; to being there for Chandler and giving him advice when he had dating problems; and to being there for Phoebe through her problems with her surrogate pregnancy and many more things.
Rachel Green has been an iconic influence in my life and she continues to teach young girls in this new generation lessons about life, love, and being an adult. She will always continue to play a great part in my adulting journey.
All images are courtesy of the Her Campus Media Library.