My childhood heroes are a pretty impressive bunch, I must say! I’d be proud to be compared to any one of them. As a child, I was less inhibited by the internal and external motivations of an adult. Life was simpler, less complex, less confusing, closer to being true to myself. My young, innocent self found qualities in these heroes that I admired and emulated in my development. These are the people and characters that little, impressionable, five-year-old Heidi chose to pattern herself after:
Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman (Linda Carter) is a warrior Princess of the Amazons. She is a feminist role model whose mission is to bring the Amazon ideals of love, peace, and sexual equality to the world. She passionately fights to uphold truth, justice and freedom. And she has a sweet outfit!
Humanitarian. Feminist. Brave. Beautiful. Intelligent. Strong. Athletic. Competitive. Fearless. Powerful. Visionary. Honest. Passionate. Leader.
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake is a cheery, happy, optimistic cartoon character who exemplifies qualities of being a good friend. She is a caring and active participant in the world.
Positive. Generous. Friendly. Thoughtful. Optimistic. Helpful. Independent. Do-gooder. Forgiving. Innocent.
Nadia Comaneci
Nadia Comaneci is one of the best-known gymnasts in the world. She is a Romanian gymnast, winner of three Olympic gold medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and the first female gymnast ever to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. She is also the winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics.
Athletic. Artistic. Courageous. Perfectionist. Positive. Dedicated. Confident. Vulnerable. Inspirational. Successful.
Princess Leia
Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) is one of the main protagonists of the original Star Wars trilogy. In Return of the Jedi, it is revealed that she is the twin sister of Luke Skywalker, and the daughter of Darth Vader. She is passionate in her fight against evil. Leia is a significant force in The Rebellion against The Empire’s control.
Driven. Dedicated. Powerful. Humanitarian. Leader. Influential. Beautiful. Opinionated. Intelligent. Tough. Confident. Feminine.
Punky Brewster
Penelope “Punky” Brewster (Soleil Moon Frye) is a warm, funny and bright orphan child. She has a contagious smile and a remarkably optimistic outlook on life.
Confident. Unique. Positive. Eccentric. Creative. Passionate. Spirited. Friendly. Loving. Fearless. True. Bright. Spunky. Optimistic.
Annie
Annie (Aileen Quinn) is a lovable, red-headed, orphan girl. With untimely wisdom, Annie can hold her own against bullies and has a strong and intuitive sense of right and wrong. She is a shining example of how to overcome adversity.
Optimistic. Compassionate. Confident. Generous. Fair. Selfless. True. Gutsy. Talented. Positive. Strong. Loving. Courageous.
Laura Ingalls
Laura Ingalls (Melissa Gilbert) is based on a real girl, which gives a force to her persona. She wasn’t necessarily pretty, overly cheery or even particularly clever. Not your typical heroine, and for that I loved her even more. She was an example of down-to-earth, humor, compassion, and industry I could relate to. She did farm chores that made her strong; she was smart (but only from making the occasional poor choice); and she knew the value of a dollar, thanks to her hand-me-down calico dresses.
Realistic. Self-reliant. Strong. Grounded. Industrious. Modest. Respectful. Loyal. Persistent. Compassionate. Humble. Smart. Appreciative. Loving. Optimistic.
Heidi Schwab
And then there’s me. Ha! I have always admired myself, in a healthy, humble way, for my compassionate, empathetic, loving nature. I motivate myself continually with awareness of my unending potential. I am grateful for the blessings and challenges in my life, for they help shape me into the uniquely complex and lovable being that I am.
Optimistic. Loving. Empathetic. Athletic. Feminine. Confident. Vulnerable. Fair. Honest. Competitive. Helpful. Friendly. Forgiving. Intelligent. Humanitarian. Philanthropist. Grounded. Strong. Humble. Modest. Unique. Eccentric. Creative. Spirited. Perfectionist. Powerful. Energetic. Joyful. Passionate. Evolving. Conscious. Sweetheart.
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