Disney movies have certainly improved in terms of picture quality and their musical numbers. The one thing that has remained in the 85 years Disney has been making films are the life lessons, the ones about sharing and taking chances. Some of these lessons that are made for kids actually can translate more to the adult demographic.
Get out of your tower-comfort zone
When entering our twenties, we are not given an instruction manual. We are just kind of pushed out, given a wave and a half-hearted “good luck” and then it is up to us to figure out our next move. Having too many responsibilities and too many obligations can cause a lot of anxiety and people to sink into comfort.
If you have watched the movie Tangled, then you know how scary it was for Rapunzel to leave her tower. If you have watched it all the way through, then you will also remember how excited she was. Anxiety can be a real bi*** and force you out of your ideas or dreams and back you into a wall of comfort where you won’t take risks and where it is “safe”. In reality, this “safe” zone is toxic.
If Rapunzel were to stay in that tower, she would have never danced with the townspeople, she would have never fallen in love with Flynn and she would have never met her parents. Be like Rapunzel and leave your damn tower. Take risks and have fun. You only get one life.
Dig a little deeper
The goals we have can take a lot of effort and work. Rome was not built in a day. Take it from Princess Tiana who had a dream of owning her own restaurant in New Orleans where people would come from miles around and enjoy her soul food.
She ran into a ton of roadblocks from having the money for the restaurant in her hands ready to hand over, and then within the same second, there was a higher bidder. Life can cut your finish line within a second and move it another mile away. The important thing to remember is to always dig a little deeper.
If this situation fell through, are you really left with nothing? Is this one goal or this one dream the only thing you have in life to look forward to? Perhaps it is. Or, perhaps this is a stepping stone to something greater. Never let a roadblock defeat you.
someday your prince/princess will come
There is so much pressure on twenty-year-olds. You typically graduate college at this time, and then your family will begin the “so when are you getting hitched?” conversation. It can be discouraging. Whether that is because you haven’t found someone yet or you just don’t want someone.
If you have not found someone, don’t worry, you have time. Love is not an hourglass, it is endless. And if you are someone who enjoys a single life, I support that too. You should not have to be with someone to make society happy. Cher has been single for many years and looks where she is.
Put your past behind you
Memories are beautiful. They are a montage of who we are, and where we have been. They can also be toxic and hurtful. Not everyone has a beautiful past and not everyone is proud of who they were in the past. The fun thing about growing up and moving away, is you get to choose who you are. If you were someone who has done some mean things in the past, all you can do is apologize and remind yourself never to be that person again. Putting the past behind you can be a way for your mind to reset itself and focus on the future.
I hope the next time you watch a Disney film, you think about the lessons they are teaching. Maybe they resonate with you. Always be kind to yourself and remember that there is magic around every corner.