Wicked, Evil, Villainous: Life Lessons from Disney Villains

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall: who is the fairest one of all?" The Evil Queen asked day after day. Desperately clinging to validation centered around her physical beauty, ensuring no other woman would ever threaten her dominance. And she knew that the mirror spoke the truth... but on the day the mirror replied, "Snow White, is fairer than thee."

What I find interesting about the Evil Queen is that though Snow White was indeed more beautiful the Evil Queen also was -- but in her own way. This happens wayyyy too much in modern society. Instagram now replacing the magic mirror as a resource to turn to that almost magically offers up a measuring stick by which to compare yourself to others. Who has the most likes? (Is it because of perfectly sun kissed skin on exotic shores?) Who has the most followers? Who has more guys sliding into their DMs? Who looks like they are having the most fun? Instagram, Instagram, who is the most popular in the land? This needs to stop. Moving on from philosophical rabbit holes, below are the lessons I learned from the original Queen of Evil:

1. Do NOT Compare Yourself To Others -- This is something that I've struggled with my whole life, and I firmly believe that many people, especially young women, have a little bit of Evil Queen in them. Coveting and possibly viciously resenting Insta babes... quietly comparing themselves to the beautiful women in their little magic mirrors. It's tough! But to preserve your own self-esteem and body image it's vital to stop comparing yourself to others and love your own unique brand of beauty. There is so much beauty in this world, including you! Not just one flower, one landscape, or one person is beautiful.

But how do you stop? It's easier said than done. I'm STILL trying to perfect the art. The first way is to simply keep mental tabs on it and try to stop it when you can sense it starting. List the things you like about yourself instead of the things about others you wish you had. Look yourself in the mirror every morning and tell yourself that you are the fairest of them all.

2. Caring About Your Appearance -- isn't necessarily a bad thing as long as you keep it under control. She was a beautiful queen with talent for spell conjuring to boot. Taking pride in your looks is not a bad thing and can get you far in life. Just look at getting dressed up for interviews! The look makes a difference.

Trinket I Would Steal: Magic Mirror