18 Universal Life Lessons That The ‘Golden Girls’ Taught Us

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Believe it or not, there are still  TV shows that teach you universal life lessons.  With the wisdom of the 80 and ’90s that still live in our heart, one of the best shows to escape to for some fun-loving entertainment isThe Golden Girls. This fall will mark 35 years since the beloved sitcom starring Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White made its debut on our TV sets. Now, all these years later, the show is just as relevant now than ever.  There’s so much wealth of excellent life advice in this TV show.

Whether it was the importance of living your life to the fullest,  keeping your best girlfriends close, or just enjoying a  slice or two of cheesecake, you can always take something away from an episode of The Golden Girls. Also, with the combination of the plot lines, and the 80’s Miami fashion scene and of course, the theme song how could one not fall in love with this hit TV show.  So Golden Girls ‘thank you for being a friend’ as well as a mentor and teaching us these through many slices of cheesecakes 18 universal life lessons.

Don’t Be Afraid To Give Your Friends Your Honest Opinion

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None of these ladies were ever afraid to tell one another exactly what was on their mind.  Whether it was giving their opinion about an outfit, a man, or their annoying habits, they let each other know the absolute truth pretty much all the time.   If you can’t tell your best friends the truth and vice versa than who will?  There’s no need to be downright rude when giving your honest opinion. However there will be an occasion or two when you need to be blunt like the “Golden Girls” were often, and that’s ok too, because as long as it’s coming from the heart that’s all that matters.

Giving Back Is Always Important

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There weren’t too many episodes where we didn’t see one of the ladies either doing volunteer work, hosting an event for a charity or were tired from all the volunteer work they had been doing.  It’s essential that we all do for others when you can, and the show made this a focal point in many of its episodes.   You had Rose driving a bookmobile, Sophia and Dorothy did meal on wheels,  and well even though Blanche did talk about all her charitable work, there’s one episode you see her handing out food on Christmas day at one of the local shelters.

Life Isn’t Always Fair

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Even though this show was a sitcom, life was not always Golden for the “Golden Girls,” and numerous episodes dealt with real-life situations. This TV show was a reminder to its viewers that no matter what hand in life you dealt with you have to keep on living life because at times you’ll find that life isn’t just fair; Seems like the premise for the entire show!

You have three women that are widowers and one who had her husband cheat on her with numerous women.  Aren’t you supposed to grow old with the love of your life? It didn’t happen for these women, and as they live the next chapter of their lives with one another, you see characters lose a parent, a sibling, and even pensions. Through all of the good and the unfair moments in life, they still find a way to get through it all, and that’s together.

You Can Get Through Anything With The Help Of Great Friends

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So when life is rearing its ugly head, The Golden Girls reminds us over and over again that with great friends there’s nothing you can’t get through. In one of the very first episodes, Dorothy’s daughter has her wedding reception at the house, and Dorothy was dreading seeing  Stan.

She never thought she’d be able even to face her cheating ex-husband ever again, but Blanche and Rose were right there by her side the entire time.  Sophia was there with her words of wisdom and tough love, and she was able to not only face him, but she was able to stand up for herself and give him a piece of her mind in the process.  So remember ladies, you can take on anything that comes your way with the help of your true besties.

Life Doesn’t Stop Once You Hit Your Middle Ages-It Gets Better!

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The ladies on The Golden Girls knew that just because they weren’t in their 20’s anymore didn’t mean that the party was over. If anything, it seems like a lot of their fun started when they met each other. They showed audiences week after week that there was life after 5o! (Well after 40 as far as Blanche was concerned) They dated, they went on vacations, hosted parties, and enjoyed life!

They weren’t sitting home 24/7 waiting for the days to go by. Even Dorothy got out from time to time and also managed to snag herself a husband. These 4 BFF’s knew they were lucky to have one another and a second chance at happiness and decided with those lemons they had been given they were going to make lemonade.

Don’t Let A Scary Movie Be The Last Thing You Watch Before Bed

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While some can watch the gruesome slasher flicks and then have no problem with going to bed, others can’t watch these kinds of movies without igniting their flight-or-flight response. This episode resonates with so many. Haven’t you been there a time or two when you’ve watched a scary movie maybe it was Physco or The Exorcist, and you just knew there was no way you’re going to sleep? It would have been nice to have your best gal pals to talk and eat the night away while trying to get horrific, scary movie scenes out of our heads. If you’re the type that can’t go to sleep with your mind full of horror than maybe an episode of The Golden Girls before you get some zzzz’s is best after watching hours of gore.

You May Not Be Able To Go Home Again But You Can Talk About It Forever

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You may be able to take the girl out of Brooklyn, Georgia, Sicily and St. Olaf, but you can’t the Brooklyn, Georgia, and St. Olaf out of the girl. Our childhood and upbringing are what makes us who we are, and that was apparent when it came to Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia. They shared endless stories about their hometowns and their lives as both young girls and grown women, and that’s alright. They loved to reminisce which most people do. The girls taught us that you can share all of these beautiful memories and still move on, change, and grow.

Don’t Take Yourself Too Seriously

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The secret of life requires one to follow one single rule, and the ladies knew what that was. They knew that if you wanted to be happy and successful in life, then you must not take yourself too seriously, and that’s exactly what they did. The girls were able to see the humor in numerous situations, and most importantly were able to find the silver lining when things didn’t go their way. By taking themselves less seriously, they were all about to navigate through life’s ups and downs a bit easier. This may be one of the biggest life lessons this show taught us.

Always Practice Safe Sex

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By far one of the funniest scenes in this show.  The girls are embarking on a weekend with men whom they were dating at the time, and Blanche tells the ladies that they should get some protection for their trip, and she’s absolutely right!  This flashback episode teaches women that there’s no reason why women should leave it up to the men to bring condoms on a weekend getaway.

It also shows women that at any age in your life when you’re “just dating” you should be using condoms, not just because you could get pregnant (We’ll they couldn’t) but to also protect yourself from diseases and STD’s.  This statement was so bold to make for being way back in the ’80s.  Thanks, girls!

The Best Gifts Are Those From The Heart

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Yes, we all love to get Christmas gifts from our loved ones; especially when its something we have had our eyes on. However, some of the gifts that are the best are the ones we’ve received that are thoughtful, straight from the heart, and handmade. Creative fun DIY Christmas gifts melt the heart away, and in this episode, the girls decide to make their gifts instead of spending all that money that they usually do on gifts. A great reminder to viewers that you don’t have always have to spend the holidays running around for presents to buy, and that gifts from the heart are the simplest ways to make your family’s Christmas more meaningful.

Laughter Is The Best Medicine

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Even though these women were often dealing with the stresses of life, they always found time to laugh at themselves and others. Whether it was Rose’s latest St. Olaf story or Blanche’s latest dating adventure, and the slighted insults that Dorothy and Sophia traded back in forth, there was always laughter. These ladies always knew how to have a good laugh! Each woman didn’t mind taking one another down a peg or two, which was usually in good fun. So when in doubt ladies when things are looking a little dim, remember laughter is the best medicine, and it does a body good!

Always Face Your Fears

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There’s this one episode where Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose all face their fears.  Dorothy was scared of flying on small planes, Rose had a fear of public speaking, and hilariously Blanche had a fear of being in a space with a bunch of bald men.  They all were there for one another as they faced their fears head-on, (Well Blanche’s just sort of happened)  and made sure that no matter they would see one another through.

They were all on a flight to Rose’s Aunt’s funeral where Rose was going to give the eulogy. Unfortunately,  the plane had to be diverted because of bad weather, which meant Rose wasn’t going to speak, so they made Rose give the eulogy right on the plane so she’d get over her fear of speaking in front of a lot of people. The girls taught us in not only this episode but countless others that you can’t go through life being fearful.

Anything Can Be Solved Over Cheesecake

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Ok so maybe cheesecake doesn’t really solve all your life problems, but for these ladies, it definitely helped them ladies talk things out! For the course of the show’s seven-year-run these ladies had cheesecakes and girl talk around that small kitchen table, and at least once the cheesecake or cheesecakes in some situations was done their problems at least seemed a little better. Of course, no problem can figure itself completely out within a half hour, but by the end of the half episode, things were back on the right track for the most part. So cheesecake seems like a good solution to me!

It’s A Good Thing To Have A Healthy Dose Of Self-Esteem

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Let’s be honest Blanche was a little bit conceited, but the one thing we all loved about her was her unwavering self-confidence. With her poise, southern drawl, and the ability to look and feel good in any situation Blanche exuded pure confidence, and nothing was wrong with that. She would never let anyone or anything tear her down, and she wore her reputation with pride. She was one proud lady whose confidence oozed out of every tight pore. Blanche could brag about herself with the best of them.

You’re Never Too Old To Be Sexy

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Blanche may have been in her 50’s (Well 40’s if you ask her) but she would still wear a low cut blouse every now again, a piece of lingerie here and there, and could rock a little black dress like she was in her 20’s. She may have been vain, but never did she apologize for her fierce sexuality. She owned her sexiness. Blanche let it be known that middle-aged women had it going on. If she wanted to wear a hot sexy red dress, she could not only wear it but wear it better than anyone else did.

Dance Like Nobody Is Watching

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The Golden Girls taught us to let loose. The episode when Blanche and Rose decided to take a dirty dancing class was quite hilarious, but at the same time was teaching us that life is very short and unpredictable. So if you have the chance, why not go out and do something that may not be in your comfort zone and let loose! The class was not in Rose’s comfort zone, but interestingly enough she was better at it then Blanche. The ladies were always dancing at some point or another, and it was fun seeing them living life on their own terms, being courageous, and tearing it up on the dance floor and the living room floor!

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