More than once, as an adult, I wished a magical knight in shining armor would come and carry me away from my problems.
I knew this was not going to happen, but I still yearned for the happily ever after fairytale ending with Prince Charming from the Golden Books my mother used to read to me.
Perhaps you can relate.
If so, you may remember as a young girl being introduced to the concept of a damsel in distress, who is always rescued by a male hero.
Although these stories can be fun to read or watch, they can inflict unconscious damage in how we, as women, view ourselves. The most obvious being that we are placed on a path in which we seek love, safety, and a happily ever after life outside of us.
In this article, which is the fourth of a seven-part series on The Seven Myths of Love & Happiness™, we will uncover the true meaning of the Myth of Prince Charming.
What Is the Myth of Prince Charming?
Although this myth is often associated with romantic fairytales, its role as one of The Seven Myths of Love & Happiness does not reside in a handsome prince sweeping his beloved off her feet.
The Myth of Prince Charming represents whatever it is you are chasing after to fill an inner void.
This is where the search for true love takes you outside of yourself. The value of who you are, then, is detached from yourself and attached to an outer object of desire.
The list of things we apply the Myth of Prince Charming to are endless, which is where it draws its power. The essence of this myth hides in plain sight because it is never any one thing, as it takes the form of our individually unique wants and desires.
The Golden Age of Consumerism
What exactly is it that drives much of humanity to willingly forsake its physical health, mental and emotional well-being, and utilize endless resources to fill an inner void that can never be fully satisfied with outer achievements?
For women over 60, the answer can be found in the era we grew up in.
We were born into, raised, and grew into adults during the golden age of consumerism. No generation before us had been bombarded by so many visuals, stories, and messages that pulled at our heart strings, and thus, redirected our attention to outside pursuits.
Used as the proverbial carrot of your dreams, global institutions and industries have dangled the Myth of Prince Charming in front of you from childhood to the latest stages of your life.
In whatever way the message appears, it is persuasively suggested that being with the ideal person or buying the product you are told will make you happy, means your idealized Prince Charming will manifest.
This is precisely where the damage of this myth is both inflicted and felt, most notably, by women over 60.
Forsaking Our Inner Value and Worth
I am not suggesting that consumerism is bad, far from it. It has helped provide all of us with wonderful opportunities and options to enhance the quality of our life.
But as it is with all the seven myths, there is a dark, and often hidden underside to the narratives the Myth of Prince Charming is wrapped around.
In this case, the picturesque but unreachable fantasy of happily ever after that we were introduced to as children, influences us on an unconscious level throughout adulthood. It shows up in how we forsake our inner value and worth for what others tell us is valuable in the outer world.
The real damage, then, that the Myth of Prince Charming produces is that it creates a mythical reality that keeps you from looking inward for answers to who you are and what can fulfill you.
Overwriting This Myth
There are many wonderful and proven methods for overwriting the Myth of Prince Charming. Three of the more powerful are:
Journaling Your Inner Thoughts
Journaling your inner thoughts provides a valuable reflection of processing through inner resistance to positive change and it helps mitigate the influence of your inner critic.
Going Inward Via Meditation
Meditation, or even taking quiet time for contemplation, offers a direct conduit to your inner, authentic self. It also creates a pattern interrupt from outside influences that entice you into seeking for true love, happiness, and fulfillment in all the wrong places.
Speaking Empowering Affirmations
When you are feeling unfulfilled and detached from your inner peace, having a series of go-to affirmations can profoundly reframe how you see yourself from the inside-out.
To help you overwrite the Myth of Prince Charming, and further integrate what you have learned, in my video for this article I will guide you through three inspiring journal prompts and share with you 10 empowering affirmations.
What is your idea of Prince Charming? Have you hoped to have one of those in your life? Do you think a Prince Charming can be anything you put your hopes in?
