I am a fan of watching sitcoms. I recently started watching 2 Broke Girls which I have had on my computer. I just finished season one. It is the story of 2 girls in Brooklyn – Max and Caroline. Max is a waitress at a diner and has lived a life of poverty. Caroline – a rich, spoilt girl – recently lost all her money and is new to the whole poverty routine. What caught my attention while watching this sitcom is the difference in the way both of them handle the similar situation they are in.
Max is devoid of any emotion and takes her lot with disinterest. She works 2 jobs and makes cupcakes at night to make ends meet. She has worked hard all her life and is resistant to any possibility of change. Caroline, on the other hand, just lost all her money due to a scam her father is involved in. She has known no other way of life but that of a billionaire princess.
And yet Max is the atheist. Caroline is the believer. Max downplays her worth, finds problems in opportunities and doesn’t believe in herself; Caroline has a degree from Wharton and still looks and thinks like a rich girl. On her first day at work, she notices that the cupcakes on sale are underpriced and points it out to Max. Max tells her that no one will pay more than $4 for a cupcake, Caroline shows her the money she made by selling at $7! When Caroline comes to know that Max is the baker, her entrepreneurial drive takes over. She comes up with a plan to start a cupcake business which would improve life for both of them.
Max doesn’t believe anything good can happen! (Photo credit)
She keeps talking about all the good things one could do to turn life around for the better. And Max, who has lived a mediocre life finds it funny, even irritating to think anything could be better. By the end of the first season, there are numerous instances where Caroline keeps coming up with ideas and Max keeps shooting them down. But she presses on and gradually gets to Max one step at a time and makes progress towards setting up the business.
Caroline’s optimism is so infectious that I decided to do this post on how your mindset can make a huge difference in life:
1. Count your blessings: This is something I personally believe in. In the episode where Caroline sneaks into her house, we get to see the opulence she formerly lived in. And the extent of her downfall becomes evident. She now lives without air conditioning, has no servants, just a handful of clothes and a long shift working at the diner. She still cherishes whatever she has – her horse, Chestnut, the murphy bed she puts together, the cheap but colourful sheets she brings for her bed and she calls her bed her room since there is no spare room in Max’s house.
We all have imperfect lives. But there is always something that we can be thankful for. And nothing can make us feel better than feel grateful for what we are fortunate to have.
2. Never give up: Caroline dreams of setting up a cupcake business at the nadir of her life when she barely has a borrowed roof over her head. Her fortunes changed for the worse, but she still has her old way of thinking and her knowledge from Wharton. She doesn’t believe in giving up and convinces Max to become her partner.
If you truly believe in something, plough on till you get it.
Caroline starts off working on the business with whatever resources are available (Photo credit)
3. Believe in yourself: I think when the going gets tough in life is when we need to believe in ourselves the most. Caroline not just believes that she can set up a successful business but also encourages Max to see her own potential as a baker. She may have lost everything but she pitches to clients for cupcake catering as if she were an established company.
We all have moments of doubt during our journey towards our goals. But believing that we have it in us and we will make it is critical to success.
4. Nothing is impossible: This is another life lesson from Caroline. She comes up with seemingly impossible ways of promoting her business and networking. The one that stands out is her plan to meet Martha Stewart and pitch their cupcakes to her at a high profile event. While Max is in disbelief, Caroline borrows fancy clothes with a help of a friend, rides on Chestnut with Max to the party since the car breaks down and pitches to Martha in the ladies room because that’s where they run into her. While all this sounds stupid, Martha approves of their cakes and wants to know more about them.
I think we are first ones to doubt ourselves. We look at our idols and wonder if we will ever be like them. But if we set our imagination free, the outrageous might also become possible. Dreams can come true!
While this is really not the usual kind of post I write, I appreciate optimism and positivity in all forms. What is it that you are thankful for? What is your dream that you seek to turn into reality? Share with me here and reaffirm your faith in achieving your goals!
