How Diana, Nancy, and Anne shaped who I am

We all have those people in our lives we look up to, who inspire us, and who push us to be better than we were the day before. So when asked who has had an influence on your life, one may mention a parent, grandparent, teacher, boss, friend and the like. But what if some of the people who shaped you weren't real?

No, I do not live in a fantasy world and definitely know the difference between reality and make believe, but truth be told some of my influencers live within the pages of books. So, let me clarify exactly what I mean. When I think about some of the people who have influenced me when I was growing up I immediately think of Diana Prince, Nancy Drew, and Anne Shirley of Green Gables. While these women and I don't have much in common, I was still drawn to who they were, what they represented, and what they inspired in me.

The Amazon Warrior 
Diana Prince aka Wonder Woman, simply put, is a badass. She had pretty cool accessories- the bracelets, invisible plane, and, of course, the truth lasso. However, it's not just the accessories, it's her. She had such presence when she entered a space. She was smart, strong, confident, and fierce.

The Teen Sleuth
Nancy Drew is your everyday girl whose curiosity, ingenuity, resourcefulness, and true blue friends help her solve mysteries. Growing up it was hard not to be drawn to Nancy Drew and her adventurous nature. At the time I encountered Nancy Drew, I was on my own adventure living overseas for the first time at age 7 years old. While there were no secret passage ways or cases to solve where I was, there were lots of mysteries and things to be curious about.

The Kindred Spirit
Anne of Green Gables owned her story and embraced who she was. She refused to play small and went after her dreams. She also had a wonderful imagination, energy, confidence and strength that was admirable. The other thing about Anne is that she wasn't perfect and made mistakes along the way. However, her teacher Ms. Stacy's advice has always stuck with me, "tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it yet."

What all three of these characters shared was a strong sense of self, fierce independence, unwavering loyalty to loved ones, and a willingness to put oneself out there for what they believe in. It's not hard to see why a little girl like me would look up to these three.

p.s. In case you were concerned about my being influenced by fictional heroines, don't worry as future posts will feature real people who have also inspired me.