The Princess and The Bear

“I need to be myself. I can't be happy if I'm always doing and saying what other people tell me to do or say. It makes me feel,” the Princess paused, "...lost. It makes me feel lost.” “You are wise for your age," said the Bear. "It takes most a long time to realize that truth and who they really are. They get so caught up in what is going on around them, they never stop and try to understand what is going on inside of them.” The Princess frowned, "That is sad, that truly breaks my heart. No one should go through life longer than I have without being happy and knowing who they are.” “Don't let it make you sad," the Bear gently put a big paw over the Princess' heart, "Everyone has endless opportunities to find out who they are. Once you start learning though, it becomes easier and easier to discover who you are deep down. You just need that one spark to get things going and it comes at different times for everyone." The Princess found comfort in this as it gave her a sense of excitement and hope. “So, am I done learning who I am then? Or will I always be learning what makes me happy?” The Bear placed her paw back on the ground, "You will always be learning, as you grow and experience different things, you will learn more and more about yourself. Some things about you will stay for only a few months or years, while others will stay your entire life.” The Princess' mind raced through all the things that made her happy right now and wondered as she grew what else she would stumble upon. "If you are always finding new things that make you happy, it's ok to change then, right?” “Yes, it is always ok to change, Princess." Said the Bear. "Change can be a very good thing.”