This Tuesday I thought I would resurrect one of my favorite TV shows: Gossip Girl.  It’s easy to get lost in the drama, couture fashion, and hunky guys that make the show worth watching.  But once you look past the glitz and glamor, you realize the show offers so much wisdom that we can apply to our lives.  Even if we don’t reside on the UES.  See 10 life lessons I’ve taken from the show below.

Self-Empowerment a la Blair

Favorite Blair Empowerment Moment: when she embraced being Queen B to create B by Eleanor Waldorf.  Blair stopped trying to be another Eleanor and realized that her own ideas and talents were more than enough to make her mark on the world. Pure perfection.

The Internet Is A Powerful Thing

Gossip Girl, herself, teaches us this extremely important lesson.  People behind computers have the power to make or break a person and their reputation with a simple blog post or tweet.  You can Google anyone’s name and all of their information is in the palm of your well-manicured hand.  That power of information comes with a very real responsibility.  Don’t be Dan.

You Are Not Defined By Your Circumstances

Dan and Serena are the perfect examples of this lesson.  Dan, the outsider, eventually schemes his way into the Upper East Side (and into his dream girl’s life) that he coveted his whole life.  He didn’t accept that he would always be on the outside looking in.

Serena , the insanely wealthy and wild party girl, broke out of her stereotypical mold even though she hit road blocks at every turn.  She fell off the wagon a couple times before she fought to show the world that she was more than her money and her past.

Money CAN Buy Happiness

As we see in Blair, shopping is often the only therapy you need.  Duh.

There Are 3 Types of Men: Dans, Chucks & Nates

Dan, the sweet guy that is usually friendzoned.

Chuck, the asshole every girl swoons over.

Nate, the golden boy jock who is friends with everyone.

Scheming Never Works In Your Favor. Ever.

How many times did Blair set up what she thought was a brilliant scheme that not only failed miserably, but came back to bite her in the ass?  Here’s a hint: always*.  Whether it was setting up Serena and Dan (remember when they hired a fake old couple to tell them how cute they were together?), sabotaging both Little J’s and Poppy Lifton’s designer collections, or countless other schemes, it never, ever worked.

*I wanted to add an exception for her scheme to set up Bart Bass, but let’s face it, I’m pretty sure she didn’t want it to include Bart dying, Chuck being arrested, and the two of them being (halfway) forced to marry to use spousal privilege against the police. So no exception.

Your Soulmate Is Out There

I lost count at the number of times Blair and Chuck, and Serena and Dan, all tried and failed to stray away from each other.  They pushed and shoved each other away but no matter the circumstances, they always found their way back to their true love’s arms.

Power Isn’t Everything

We see this in almost every character in the series.  Little J has always envied Blair’s power. When she finally gets it, she lets it destroy her life and her relationships.

Chuck has all the power in the world; all he has to utter is those three little words “I’m Chuck Bass” and every door, bank account, and pair of legs opens for him.  Even when he jets off to mysterious foreign lands with dozens of long-legged models, he still feels lonely without his true love by his side because even Chuck Bass’ power can’t buy Blair.

Always remember GG’s advice to Jenny: “Here’s an insider tip Little J: the faster you rise, the harder you fall.”

Fashion Can Make A Lasting Impression

Mixing prints, bold colors, men’s wear, vintage glam.  You name it, the Gossip Girl characters wore it.  The fashion is part of what makes the show so memorable and iconic.  Blair and Serena mastered showing off their personalities through their outfits, creating a gorgeous mirage of classic and bold outfits that have been burned into our memories and hearts.

For example: I will never forget this George Chakra Spring 2010 Couture Dress Serena wears in my favorite episode of the whole series (“Belles Du Jour”, season 4, episode 1).

Your True Best Friend Is Always There For You

Serena and Blair are the ultimate best friends.  Their friendship isn’t perfect, which in fact makes it perfect.  They fight, they have differences in opinion, fashion, and boys, they are jealous of each other, and they even try to destroy each others lives a few times.  But no matter what goes down on the lacrosse field, they always find their way back to each other.

Save