10 Life Lessons From Mean Girls.
I'm Hailey from The Undateable Girl's Diary and this is my first ever guest post. When my friend Gwennan asked for people to write for her, I thought I should give it a go. I really like her blog and she's a lovely human being, so it wasn't hard to find something we both like that I could write about. I'm very much into pop culture and Mean Girls is just an absolute classic. So here are 10 life lessons from Mean Girls and I hope you enjoy and learn something from them.
What you probably don't know about me, I was the Regina George of our school. I wasn't as mean as her but I could be, if I wanted to. My friends and me were called Plastics, even though we never gave ourselves that title. We were just different and people were always super quick to judge us for being girly girls. So when I share these life lessons with you, know that I'm also talking from my own experience. And just for the record, I owned pretty much any piece of clothing the Plastics wear in the movie and yes, I went to school like that. Don't judge me!
1. Don't give a damn about other people's opinion.
I feel like this movie demonstrates very well what happens if you pay too much attention to what other people think about you. The only thing that matters is that you're comfortable with who you are and what you do and don't let anyone ever tell you that you're not good enough. If you want to wear short skirts, do it. If you love the colour pink, embrace it. If you want to perform the Jingle Bell Rock at your school talent show, absolutely go for it. I've danced on stages performing routines to songs like Lady Marmelade or Dirrrty, matching outfits and all, and you know what? I never cared about what one single person thought about it. It was just a lot of fun.
2. Cherish your friendships.
It doesn't matter if people love or hate you, as long as you have a handful of good friends that will always have your back. I think it's fab how Janis and Damian take Cady into their little circle because it's never fun or easy being the new kid. They way she ends up treating them though is really not cool. Unfortunately, these things happen, especially when you're a teenager and all you want to be is popular, but nothing like that is worth losing honest friendships. Some people will come and go but make sure to figure out who is worth staying with and don't ever take them for granted.
3. A burnbook works wonders.
So yeah, this book may be the meanest thing you've seen in teenage movies but I know for a fact that it definitely helps to blow off steam. It's not cool to hold it against everyone, though. If you're really upset and you feel like saying all the mean things you can think of to somebody, don't do it because chances are that you'll really regret it. And it doesn't make you any cooler to go around telling people how much you hate them. Right it down, make sure you get it all out of your system and then move on. And of course, make sure to hide it someplace safe, since you don't want cops to be sent to your teachers house.
4. Love your parents, even when they're embarrassing.
OMG, Amy Poehler as Regina's mom is just brilliant. I'm sure we'e all rolled our eyes at something our parents said or did but you know what, that's just how parents are. It's they're job to embarrass us and trust me when I tell you that you won't die from it. Sometimes, it's just they're way of trying to make us laugh, to cheer us up or to just let loose because they are allowed to. Don't hold it against them, it's often a sign of love. If you're a parent and you don't embarrass your child, you're doing something wrong.
5. Don't change who you are to make other's like you.
It kills me to see how Cady tries to make Aaron like her by pretending she is bad at math. Honestly, I've been there and thinking about it now makes me want to punch myself. Depending on who you'e talking to, you feel like you have to be someone else, in order for them to like you but that's just plain wrong. Only surround yourself with people who like you for you. Everyone else is so not worth it. And if a guy is intimidated by your skills, your degree, or whatever else there is, he better grow some balls or you should just send him to hell.
6. Embrace jealousy.
People who are jealous of you either try to make your life miserable or try to copy you. Sometimes, it's a mix of both. I know that it can get super annoying and often, you don't even understand what is happening. It usually takes a while before you realise why people do what they do. When I was a teenager and hated by the world, (I'm not even kidding) I never understood why people have such strong feelings towards me, but when years later, they started liking and doing things they used to criticise me for, I was kinda mad but also flattered. I mean, everyone hates Regina George but they still copy her boob-cut- out shirt. Some people just need some time to actually build up the courage to be who and what they want to be. Some people just need someone they admire to copy and even though it can be super annoying, take it as a compliment. Lot's of people struggle with finding their own personality, so just accept it. And I know one thing for sure, there is nothing more that people are jealous of, than of people who just don't give a damn about their bad reputation.
7. If there's a costume party, go all out.
There is actually a lot of truth in the statement that Halloween is an excuse for girls to dress in underwear. Basically any costume party, for that matter. You definitely get less judged for dressing up cute and sexy, which is wrong in so many ways, but it's just the way it is. I actually admire Cady for dressing like a zombie bride (or ex-wife as she calls it) because not a lot of girls do that, me included. I mean, I dress up whenever I feel like it and have done so, all my life, but an extra sexy Halloween outfit is my thing, too. I mean come one, who doesn't have a pair of bunny or cat ears hidden somewhere in their closet?!
8. Even the popular kids have problems.
With popular people it's like this. They try to create a perfect world for everyone to see and admire but secretly, they have the same problems and insecurities as everyone else. They might laugh about almost flunking a class, while they desperately ask for a tutor to come to their house and rescue them. They hide behind clothes and make-up but only see a million flaws, when they look into their bedroom mirror. They pretend like they don't have a care in the world for everyone hating on them, but when nobody sees them, they break down and cry. Everything is not always as it seems and I know that because I was that kid. Everyone has feelings, after all.
9. It's the small things that keep relationships going.
This goes for relationships of any kind. It's never about grand gestures but about little things that remind someone of being loved. It honestly breaks my heart a little to see how disappointed Gretchen is, when she doesn't get a candy cane. Small things like these can have such a huge impact on people, so always bear that in mind.
10. Life will always be a little like high school.
I would love to tell you something else but it's the truth. No matter where you are or what you do, there will always be the popular and the less popular people. There will always be someone that everyone talks about and some people just never grow up and still talk trash about you, like they did back in highschool. You probably see it at your workplace, you see it in the blogging community, you probably even see it when you have your own children and you take them to school and realise that you are or are not one of the popular parents. It's just how the world works. There will always be cliques and judgmental people, fights and problems. The only thing you can do is not to let it affect you. Be the person you want to be, surround yourself with good people and the rest couldn't bother you any less.
Follow Hailey's blog and social media links here!
Blog: www.haileyjaderyan.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HaileyJadeRyan
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/haileyjaderyan
FB: https://www.facebook.com/haileyjaderyan
Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/undateable-girls-diary-13591475
Pinterest: https://de.pinterest.com/haileyjaderyan/
Snapchat: http://snapchat.com/add/haileyjaderyan
A huge huge huge thank you to all my wonderful guest bloggers over the past 17 days - you're all absolute gems and I cannot thank you enough for keeping my little space going over my holiday! Normal blogging resumes tomorrow!