When I was little, the paper dolls and trading cards I played with were all ballerinas and princesses. It surely looked like everything was perfect in their pristine, prettily-dressed lives. And, given that this was the 50′s, there was little else to aspire to.

Now a full-grown woman and business owner, I had the opportunity to see a princess’s life played out on national television last week. Sarah Ferguson appeared on Oprah to discuss the recent sting operation that put her back in the headlines. I found it terribly sad, but also riveting, that someone who ‘had it all’ could fall so far from that idyllic lifestyle. I had also watched a taped episode (also on Oprah) involving child bride’s of a religious fanatic who all lived on a compound in Arkansas. What these two shows had in common were women who had been sorely deprived of reality. One captive of the religious community, upon leaving, asked, “How do you know which side of the road to drive on?” Similarly, Fergie seems equally baffled by how money works.

After watching these shows I made a gratitude list thanking my lucky stars that I am not a princess and have had to slog it out in the real world and learn the lessons that help us stay out of sting operations. Here’s what I came up with:

  1. I’m grateful that although I am ‘out there’ in the public eye, I am not that famous.
  2. I am debt-free.
  3. I trust my instincts and act on that intuition. Sarah said she knew the offer was from a journalist and didn’t honor her gut feeling.
  4. I know exactly where I stand financially–what the balances are in each of my accounts.
  5. I live within my means.

It must have been super-cool to live in Buckingham Palace and be married to a prince, but I’m feeling very fortunate today that my life is uncomplicated and I have everything I need.