Welcome back to White Rose of Avalon, my Darlings. For today’s Femme Fatale Friday blog post, I wanted to share with you a post full of life advice we can learn from one of my all-time favorite fictional characters, Caroline Forbes! A few years ago, I did a similar post for Katherine Pierce, which was fun, but Caroline is my favorite character of the series, and I certainly have much more in common with her, so this will be even better. For the record, I will be sharing life advice from Caroline Forbes, from The Vampire Diaries television series, not the books. To be clear, this is because in the books, the character of Elena is much more like TV Caroline than book Caroline is. So without further ado, let’s look at 13 pieces of life advice that I have learned from Caroline!
1. Be Positive (B +)
~Caroline’s favorite type of blood is also a motto that correlates to her Sunny Disposition. She is ever the optimist and never gives up!
2. Your Weaknesses Can Be Strengths
~When newly turned, Caroline laments how her Vampire nature has enhanced her control freak tendencies, calling herself an ‘insecure neurotic control freak on crack.’ However, as time goes on, Caroline learns that this is actually something she can use to her advantage. This makes her the most in control Vampire in the series!
3. Always Be There For Your Loved Ones
~Caroline prioritizes the people in her life and is willing to make sacrifices for them. This is even true when it may go against her morals, like killing 12 Witches to save Bonnie!
4. See the Good in People
~Caroline is famous for her ability to find the good in others. She always knows that Stefan had good in him, even at his darkest. She saw the good in Klaus, even after all that he had done. This also ties into her ability to forgive people for their mistakes!
5. Empathy is One of the Greatest Gifts
~Caroline feels deeply for others, and that empathy is a true gift. She is willing to try anything to help those she cares for. This is why she attempted to feed her mother Vampire blood to heal her cancer, even though it ended up not working. This is also why she could not bring herself to kill the doppelganger Tom Avery, because he was a good person!
6. See the Humor Even in Dark Times
~Caroline has a sense of humor and is willing to try to lighten up even dark situations. This truly shows her Sunny Disposition, even when things are tough. We see how this rubs off on her friends when Elena says to Stefan, ‘Let’s put on our best Caroline Forbes’ when they are stranded at the end of season 5.
7. Confidence is Key
~We know that Caroline’s Miss Mystic Falls application was very confidently worded, due to Klaus reading it in season 4. However, this shows an important aspect of Caroline’s personality. She always strove to act confidently, even when feeling the most insecure. This also relates to her optimism, feeling that things can always get better!
8. Never Dull Your Shine
~Caroline does not tone herself down to make others happy. This is especially true after she became a Vampire. She knows that she has what it takes to organize town events, school dances, and be the heart of her friend group. So, she approaches each thing with her whole heart, and is never afraid to be seen as being ‘too much!’
9. There is Power in Being Undersestimated
~Of all of the characters, Caroline is perhaps the most commonly underestimated by those who do not know her. However, there is a power in this, given that she often surprised attackers or villains with her true capability. Never fear being underestimated, for there is so much joy in proving the haters wrong!
10. True Growth Comes from Adversity
~Caroline was abused by Damon and then turned into a Vampire when Katherine suffocated her. This left her in transition and not knowing what was happening. Then all of the memories flooded back. So, yes, Caroline knew adversity, especially in the months that preceded her becoming a Vampire. However, being a Vampire truly brought out the best in her! Even after she turned, Caroline was kidnapped and tortured multiple times, proving her ability to survive adversity over and over again, always ending up stronger.
11. There is Beauty in Finding Comfort in Your Own Skin
~Caroline became much more comfortable in her own skin when she became a Vampire. It really seemed like she was always meant to be one. No longer was she forever insecure, as she now had real power. So, no, she never wanted the Cure because she liked who she was as a Vampire better!
12. Reframe the Negative as Learning
~Caroline went through a lot of negative times in her life, before and after being a Vampire. However, we see how she is able to learn from these trials time and again. She goes from lamenting ‘never being the one’ that guys choose, to finding love. Of course, she also loses love many times. Yet, she clearly never gives up on love! Each difficult experience went on to make her the woman that she always aspired to be.
13. You Can Never Love Too Much
~Finally, Caroline is a very loving person. This is why she could not leave Ric with infant twins all alone. She had to help raise them, and she got to be a mother. This was something that she assumed would never happen, but it was a gift. Caroline also never ceased to find new people to love, be they friends or romantic interests. So, yes, love is not a Vampire’s greatest weakness, but a strength, and Caroline proved it!
~I hope you have enjoyed this list of life advice that we can learn from Caroline Forbes. I was partially inspired by the fact that Candice King, who played Caroline, is currently writing a memoir about how much the character has meant to her. That got me thinking, and I wanted to share some of why Caroline is so important to me. Do you love Caroline? Are you a fan of The Vampire Diaries? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a lovely photo of Caroline from season 4. I found the image on https://ie.pinterest.com/pin/665406913710531805/.
LINK TO AVALONIAN ROSE FAERY MYSTERIES PATREON: patreon.com/AvalonianRoseFaeryMysteries