By Deb Miller
For generations, we’ve been fed the same stale script: find the prince, secure the ring, live happily ever after. Society encouraged us to dream of wearing glass slippers, but the truth is, those shoes were never our size, and it’s time we stop trying to squeeze into them.
I grew up in an era where my mother confidently declared, “The only title a woman needs is ‘Mrs.’” That was the expectation. Get educated just enough to be interesting, but not so much that you intimidate a man. Find a husband before your degree collects dust. The crown jewel of a woman’s life? Marriage. Not her career, not her personal fulfillment—just a title linked to a man’s name. And for a while, I believed it. Until that life wasn’t taking me to the happily ever after I’d imagined for me or my kids.
Step One: Give Yourself Permission
The first thing every woman needs is permission—to stop following the outdated fairytale and start crafting a reality that actually fits. No one is coming to sprinkle fairy dust on your life and grant you a roadmap. Want a career? Chase it. Want to travel? Pack your bags. Want to stay single? Fabulous. Want marriage and kids? That’s great too—but let it be your choice, not a checkbox on society’s list.
Women today still face enormous pressure to conform to cultural norms. But give yourself permission to be different. Even Disney had to evolve their characters—shifting from princesses pining for love to warriors and explorers defining their own unique destinies. So why shouldn’t we? If we’re modeling ourselves after stories, let’s pick the right ones. Let’s be the heroines who do instead of the princesses who wait.
Step Two: Own Your Happiness
Once you give yourself permission to break the mold, the next step is owning your happiness. And that? That’s an inside job. Happiness doesn’t come wrapped in a diamond ring or a white picket fence (unless those things genuinely light you up). It comes from making choices that align with who you are, not who the world tells you to be.
I didn’t just step outside the fairytale—I rewrote the entire story. I added other titles. MBA. CPA. Vice President. Professor. Author. Eventually, I earned a doctorate, after raising three kids and climbing the corporate ladder. And the best part? My mom, the same woman who once thought ‘Mrs.’ was the only title a woman needed, beams when she introduces me as Dr. Miller. She evolved too. Always a fashion queen, she eventually realized life is best when it’s tailor-made, and we each get to design our own version of success.
Every Woman is a Princess—Just Not the Kind You Think
Here’s what I know for sure: every woman is a princess, just not in the way we were taught. We all have our crowns—whether they come in the form of a degree, a business, a passion, or a personal triumph. And we all have dragons to slay—the expectations, the doubts, the people who tell us we can’t. But in the end, the journey isn’t about finding a prince. It’s about finding ourselves.
So, to every woman reading this: Drop the script. Forget the outdated fairy tale. Write your own story. And most importantly, find your happiness—on your terms.
Deb Miller’s life is a tapestry of adventure and achievement, weaving together experiences from her small-town Indiana roots to business opportunities across the globe. Her job as a hardworking Fortune 500 executive led to rappelling the Great Wall and riding elephants in India, all while remaining a devoted mom. Now a part-time marketing professor, Dr. Miller cherishes the opportunity to learn from her global students as well as her beloved children and grandchildren. Deb resides in an enchanted forest outside of Seattle, where the landscaping projects are endless and enjoyable. You can see more of her work by visiting her website, and following her on Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT THE BOOK: In her bold and empowering memoir, “Forget the Fairy Tale and Find Your Happiness” (She Writes Press, June 24, 2025), Miller flips the script on outdated princess narratives and proves that real-life happiness is not about finding a prince—it’s about finding ourselves. Once upon a time, women were sold the idea that love and fulfillment came neatly packaged with a white horse and a glass slipper. But what happens when the fairy tale doesn’t deliver? Miller’s journey—at times raw, funny and deeply relatable—challenges the old script and offers a refreshing perspective: women can be the heroes of their own stories. Through poignant personal revelations and a witty, insightful examination of how Disney princesses have evolved from helpless damsels to fierce, independent warriors, Miller encourages women to break free from limiting beliefs and build a life that is truly their own. With resilience, grit, and a little bit of magic (the real kind—the one that comes from within), she proves that the best happily-ever-afters are the ones we create for ourselves.
