Mother's Day Appreciation Post!

So, I do realize that this is actually a couple of days late for Mother's Day. But I'm a slacker. And it's summer. And to be on top of things right now would be so responsible, it would be verging on irresponsible. But it's OK, because we should ALWAYS appreciate our mothers - not just on Mother's Day. So here's a Disney's Mother Appreciation post! Two days after Mother's Day...

I've actually thought about the presence and absence of parents in Disney movies a lot before - way before ever starting this blog. I find it really interesting that the absence of at least one parent is a recurring theme in Disney movies... which helped me grasp something, even as a little kid, pretty easily.

And that's that parents are freakin' important.

MOTHERS are freakin' important.

There's a good 2 dozen Disney movies (just ones that I'm thinking about right now) where at least one of the main characters has a mother that is dead or just plain absent throughout the show.

And poor Snow White and Cinderella - they have step mothers who also happen to be the villain in their story (I guess Rapunzel kind of fits into that category as well).

But I find it even more interesting that many of these stories, when a mother is absent, a new mother figure has to be found. I mean, take the lost boys for instance - they kind of appoint Wendy to be their new mother because that's what they're missing. And Tarzan, Oliver and Company, Fox and the Hound - there's a lot of them that have "adopted" mothers created in the story because of the lack of mother figure.

I think Disney shows the importance of mothers as much in the absence of mothers in a lot of movies as well as in how they try to bring the mother figure back in.

I'll be honest. I would never go up against Sarabi (Lion King), Sarah Hawkins (Treasure Planet), Chicha (Emperor's New Groove), or Kala (Tarzan). Really, you should just never go up against a mother in general. That's just asking for trouble that you won't be able to finish. But these mothers mean business.

They do the hard things. They show no fear. And they show unbelievable love - even to someone that isn't technically their's. 

I'd put my own mother up there in a heart beat - along with countless other mothers that I've had the privilege of getting to meet and know.

They do the hard things. Even when they're tired. Even when they're afraid. 

I learned how to love anyone and everyone through watching my own mother do that exact thing.

I learned to believe through my mother. 

Pretty much - Mothers are the real Disney. 

It'll Be Hard to Say Goodbye

If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart - I'll stay there forever.

~ Winnie the Pooh

What would be the end of another great school year without a bit of commentary on the whole situation?

I don't think I can really say that I've discovered something about myself, because I seem to "discover" this every year - so it's more of a rediscovery... 

But I'm really bad at goodbyes.

I wish I could say this is simply because I haven't had enough of them in my life, but I feel like I've had my share of them. I just don't like the end of things. I'm a beginnings kind of girl. 

I love starting a new book. I love spring. I love the beginning of a new school year. I love meeting new people. I love starting new adventures. And I love the first bite of a delicious meal!

So endings, although easier for me now than when I was little, are still not my favorite.
But here's the thing to remember about goodbyes:

If it's bringing a tear now, it probably brought a smile before.

And really, that's what you're after.

Life isn't about trying to find the path with no pain. It's about finding the path that's worth the pain.

If the goodbye is hard now, that's because the journey has been worth it. That person has made you smile. That place has been a home.

You want to find those things in life that are difficult to let go. Those are the things that stay with you.

There are many people this past year that have impacted my life - big and small. And quite a few of them I have to say goodbye to now. And it kind of sucks. 

But you know what? 

I'd rather it suck because it's been amazing than have it be easy because I didn't care.

Here's to a year that's been so amazing, it'll be hard to say goodbye.

Savages

Do you remember watching Pocahontas as a kid?

(or an adult - I'm obviously the last person that would judge you for that)

Do you remember the part where everything has gone wrong? Kocoum has just been shot. Both sides are angry and bloodthirsty. 

Do you remember the song they sing as they prepare for battle?

Do you remember how ridiculous it sounds?

They're vermin.

They're savages.

They're only good when dead.

They're not like you and me, which means they must be evil.

The paleface is a demon.

I wonder if they even bleed.

Barely even human.

They're different from us, which means they can't be trusted.

Demons.

Devils.

They're just a bunch of filthy, stinky SAVAGES.

And while you're listening to it you think, "How can someone really think like that? (And let's keep in mind that it's BOTH sides that are acting this way!) How can they be so close minded? How can they be so blind..."

But then.... 

They're weird.

It's unnatural.

They're obviously a terrorist.

They're the spawn of Satan.

They're different.

To be completely honest, I'm not even comfortable putting up most of the words that would help make this point.

I like to think when watching Pocahontas that it's just a cute little Disney story (which, to some extent, it is). But then I have to wonder... how much of it is actually a mirror to even today's society?

We think we're so civilized. We think this is just something that happened in the past. 

I'm not saying the world is a terrible place. And I think tolerance for someone different than you is more prevalent today than it has been in the past. 

I'm also not saying that there aren't bad people out there. Or even people that do things that I personally don't agree with. 

I'm saying that being different is not a crime.

If you spend your whole life thinking that the only people who are people, are the people who look and think like you - you're going to spend your life 1) very lonely and 2) very cynical/angry. 

Neither of which is fun.

Isn't it funny how once you get to really know someone, they really don't seem that different. 

Everyone laughs in the same language and everyone bleeds the same color.

But you do have to get through the differences first to find the similarities.

They're just...

Different.

A Jack of Many Trades

You guys - this comes out next week.

And it's going to be awesome!

Lesson learned from Disney:

Not only CAN you have a bad a** side (really, any of the Marvel movies)  as well as a cute side (think probably Disney princess movies)...

But you SHOULD.

Let's not be one dimensional here. 

Disney sure isn't.

What's Your Story?

Getting a "fairytale" story does NOT mean that "happily ever after" just comes to you.

Spoiler alert: It means you're probably going to have to work your butt off.

And you're going to have times where you it doesn't seem like you're going to get it.

But guess what.

It can happen.

If you want it - it can happen.

Now, let's note that the key word here is CAN. You are going to have to want it. And you're going to have to work for those things that make up your "fairytale." 

There are two big questions you have to ask yourself.

The first is What do you want?

But the second?

The second is How MUCH do you want it?

The choice is your's really.

What's your story going to be?

Short term memory loss...?

You know those Dory moments?

When you KNOW that you were supposed to remember something important and now you can't think what it is?

Yeah... I had an incredibly intelligent, witty and deep post that I was pretty excited to write about today...

And then I left that thought alone thinking

that it would come back later when I had time

to write...

Silly, silly me...

It probably would have changed the world too.

Cause that's usually how it works. 

Anyway - moral of the story:

Don't simply trust yourself to remember the important stuff. Our heads are full of a lot of stuff. We should give them all the help that we can. Give yourself some awesome reminders.

Over at our place, we're sure of just one thing: everybody in the world was once a child. So in planning a new picture, we don't think of grown-ups, and we don't think of children, but just of that fine, clean, unspoiled spot down deep in every one of us that maybe the world has made us forget and that maybe our pictures can help recall.

~Walt Disney

Let's Make a Deal

Have you ever been around someone that likes to make waves? 

At first you're thinking they may just be an unlucky person (because those people also exist) but then you start to realize that THEY seem to be the one causing the drama all the time...

To be fair, I've only met maybe a couple of people in my entire life that fit this description. I tend to get along pretty well with any type of person, so it takes a lot for me to find someone overboard. I don't believe that this kind of personality is the norm and I don't even believe that all the people with this personality do it on purpose.

BUT

Sometimes they are there.

But even more importantly - we can turn into that person for a short time.

It happens a lot more than we think. And (hopefully) a lot more often than any of us mean it to.

And I include myself in this analysis. For sure. I'm not really the most dramatic person outwardly. Again - I'm rather easy going so it takes quite a bit to get me riled up. But I think I create a lot of drama in my inside brain when there's really no reason to do such a thing. And, especially in that kind of circumstance, it just makes my life dramatic and stressful without changing anything.

Have you ever noticed that Sleeping Beauty happens because Maleficent doesn't get invited to the party? Like, seriously. She enters the party (uninvited), tells them she feels sad for not getting an invitation, and then SHOWS them how upset she is by cursing an innocent few-weeks-old baby. 

All because she wasn't invited to the party.

Is it sad that she felt left out?

  Yes.

 Do I feel sad when I get let out of stuff?

Of course.  

But there's a line people! And it's never fun for anyone when that line gets crossed. 

So, moral of the story?

Well, obviously, be nice to people.

SECOND moral of the story?

Don't create drama where there is none. 

There's enough drama in the world without us creating unnecessary amounts. 

Don't be part of the problem - deal?

Deal.

Pie crust promises

So, because of my limited knowledge with Mary Poppins, I just stumbled across this quote from the movie and it still feels completely new and exciting to me, so I thought I'd share:

"That's a pie crust promise. Easily made. Easily broken."

Basically - don't make promises you won't keep. Or that you may not be able to keep, no matter how much you want to.

This is a fantastic lesson on trust. Trust is a HUGE deal - and it's not always treated that way. 

So be the person to break that cycle. Be the person that others can trust. 

Be the person that says what they mean and means what they say.

Can you image how that would change your life?

Can you image how it could change the world?

Like a Boss

Ok, this is just fun. 

1st Life lesson: Disney is cool.  

2nd Life Lesson: It is totally fine to refer to inside jokes anytime in your life. It's the spice of life:)

Click Here to See it Done by Professionals

Happy Saturday:D

Lessons from the Mermaid

Here we go again with Disney princess movies..

10 life lessons I've learned from The Little Mermaid:

1. DO NOT SELL YOUR BODY TO GET A GUY (although apparently that works)
2. DO NOT TRUST A LADY THAT LOOKS LIKE SHE'S BEEN ON ICE FOR MOST OF HER LIFE
3. If someone produces a contract for you to sign out of thin air (or, in this case, water) it's probably in THEIR favor more than your's... you should probably read the fine print.
4. Why use a hairbrush when you have a fork?
5. Love doesn't always need words to bloom.
6. However, guys apparently go for the girl that can sing - so you best get on that.
7. If you have a perfect chance for a perfect kiss (and the feeling is mutual) - take it. Waiting while staring into each others' eyes for 5 minutes is just asking for your boat to be tipped over.
8. Learn to love where you are without being afraid to learn of new places.
9. Parents aren't always perfect, or even handle stressful situations in the best way. But, when it really comes down to it - they really love you.
10. Talk to your parents about your problems/dreams and PARENTS: learn to listen to your kids when they do that. Can you imagine how much drama could have been spared if Ariel had just talked to her dad, he had listened, and then turned her human (WITH HER VOICE IN TACT) himself? Drama, drama, drama...

Happy Friday:D

Kissing is a Funny Thing

Kissing is a funny thing. 

Depending on people involved, feelings involved between said people, environment, etc. it can be anywhere from A Whole New World adorable to Kiss the Girl disastrous...

In my personal opinion, Beauty and the Beast has one of the most romantic kisses - but, of course, we all know I'm biased. (Followed closely by Lady and the Tramp)

However, it's actually not my favorite. 

My favorite is this one:

 

Just because I love the look on his face when Jane first throws herself at him. And I love that she just goes for it. And I love that he decides that he likes it so he kisses her too. And I love that in real life, this probably would have been slightly awkward. Really, it's just great all around!

My lesson I've taken away from this wasn't one that I learned as a kid. Obviously it took till like high school age before this even applied to me. But it's a great lesson.

Sometimes the best moments aren't the most "romantic." 

The best moments depend on a lot more than what the world would consider "romantic." So don't get too caught up on that aspect. Get caught up in the moments that stick with you for way better reasons than candles, roses or even swirling magical leaves.

If the moment is one you share with one that you really care about - that's really all you need.

Cat Fights

"Girls do not start fights, but they can finish them."

Hopefully you know where this is from... if not, I'll give you a hint: there's a mouse chasing cats at some point during the show. And a man is convinced to sober up.

This is such a great line. Just a little bit on the sassy side - but really, who can argue with this??

Boys, your take away from this:

Don't mess with girls. And don't fall for the sweet face - EVERY girl has claws. With some of us it takes more for them to really come out. But be warned - they ARE there. And if you push the right button (or even just push the wrong button enough times) they will come out. 

And we like things neat, so we'll make sure to finish the job. 

And Disney tried to teach children this and a pretty early age. 

Smart man. 

He must have been married.

I Vent for a Bit

So, lately I've seen a few photo challenges on Facebook in regards to Disney that ask you to pick your favorite princess or song or kiss, etc.

I've learned something about myself in looking at these (and trying to mentally do them).

Minus my favorite Disney movie (see this here blog post for more details) - I'm really bad at picking favorites. 

Like, pretty bad. 

And then that got me thinking (cause that's what I do at midnight)...

Why does humanity have this thing with favorites??

Why do we insist that someone pick one instead of being able to say, "Well, I really like these oneS..." Why does there have to only be one? Really, it's silly.

Picking favorites is hard. And really, if you think about it, that's a good thing. That means there's a lot of good to be had.

And that shouldn't be something that we try to squander as a society.

Eight in One

This was just great, so I thought I'd share. 

Pay special attention to the Winnie the Pooh one. Everyone needs to start believing in that one especially. Because, as much as it's sometimes hard to see when looking at yourself - you're a fantastic human being.

5 Lessons from Snow White

So, we have yet to talk about Snow White! Which, is like the ultimate Disney classic! 

(Even though she has a pretty obnoxious singing voice and the villain is totally one-dimensional)

Life lessons I feel like I've learned from Snow White:

1. Taking nutritious fruit from strangers is just as harmful as taking candy from strangers. 
2. If a guy starts singing along with your random song - he's a keeper.
3. If there are 7 men and 1 woman living in a house together - she's got 8 people to take care of.
4. Whistling is the language of every forest animal.
5. Balance is everything - we need all 7 dwarfs (Doc, Happy, Sneezy, Bashful, Sleepy, Dopey, and yes, even Grumpy) to make everything fit together. So, it's okay to be grumpy every once in a while. Just make sure your happy side comes out too.

Much Needed Pep Talk to Humanity

Everyone gets a little discouraged every now and then.

It happens. It's actually totally natural. And it's okay.

However, there are some great words of wisdom from Disney's The Princess and the Frog. Tiana, the main character, is trying to make her dream of owning a restaurant a reality. And she's had to save every penny she's ever made to try and get it. It's beginning to look like she's going to make it and this is what she sings to Oprah (her mom).

There's been trials and tribulations
You know I've had my share
But I've climbed the mountain, I've crossed the river
And I'm almost there

Now, anyone that's seen the movie also knows that about ten minutes later in the movie she finds out that she's been outbid for the building and it looks like her dream is about to die right on the spot...

Spoiler Alert: She gets the restaurant in the end.

BUT she has to go through everything that makes up the rest of the movie before she can. And if you've ever seen the movie - it's actually quite a bit. She has to meet and get along with people that she doesn't particularly like at the beginning. She has to kiss a slimy amphibian. She ends up eating a bug. And she has to come to terms with the idea of never getting her dream restaurant.

The point of all of this is that sometimes life is crap. And sometimes things don't go according to plan. But I heard a quote one time from Thomas Edison that said, "Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." 

Maybe you're ALMOST there. Don't give up.

Maybe you've still got a ways to go. But you're closer to (insert whatever you want here) than you were yesterday or even an hour ago. Don't give up.

Life is full of ups and downs. And sometimes the downs are more abundant than the ups. You might think you're the only one. But I PROMISE YOU - you're not. Everyone has to deal with different problems, but we're all in the same boat. You may be almost there. And even if you're not - you're closer than you were when you started reading this.

Don't you dare give up.

Epilogue...

Okay, all I can say is that this is the most fantastic thing ever.

Life Lesson:

The story always goes on after "happily ever after..."

 Watch and Enjoy.

And probably subscribe cause this guy is just awesome.

Disney Sequels...

Let's discuss the elephant in the room with this blog - shall we?

Disney Sequels

This is going to be one of those posts where I admit that Disney has taught me some "what not to do's" as well as the "what to do's."

There's a few good Disney sequels out there. Some of my personal favorites are Return of Jafar, King of Thieves, and Lion King 1 1/2. Lion King 2 and Little Mermaid 2 weren't awful... And if we're counting Pixar then Toy Story 3 is pretty well done. 

The thing about sequels is - the movie industry seems to think that if the first one went well then OBVIOUSLY a second one can only make things BETTER. 

They're wrong. 

And there are so many horribly awful sequels out there to prove it. 

 (If you've never seen Mulan 2 - let me warn you now....DON'T SEE IT!!!)

Sometimes, you just need to leave well enough alone. Sometimes trying to go back and redo the amazing takes away some of what was special in the first place. Disney sequels (even though I don't believe that all of them are bad) have taught me that going out and finding a NEW adventure, a new story, is a big part of the success. Yes, something may have been awesome. And you should think about awesome moments in your life often - they help get us through the rough patches. 

But don't get stuck there. Go out and do something new. Be creative instead of just redoing and rehashing all the old stuff. 

Because it's rarely as good the second time around.

WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE!

Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?

 That depends a good deal on  where you want to go.

 I don't care much where -

 Then it doesn't matter which way you go.

So, here we are again at Alice and Wonderland. Which is interesting because it's really not one of my favorites, but man, it's got some good life lessons in it. 

This is a pretty famous one, so hopefully this is mostly just a reminder to all you lovely people out there. Because I'm in college and it's starting to get toward the end of the school year (and because a majority of my friends in my department are seniors) there's been a lot of "future" talk. 

What are you doing this summer?

What are you doing with your life??

Why aren't you married yet???

You get the gist. 

If you don't care where you're going, then it doesn't matter if you major in music or engineering. I'm a big planner. So I have a pretty good idea where I want to go in life. So, to me, I would say - know where you want to go. You don't have to know what exactly you're doing tomorrow or even this summer or next year. But as long as you know where you want to go then that's what's important. 

There's another part to this quote...

 - so long as I go somewhere.

 Oh, you're sure to do that, so long as you walk long enough.

Guess what. You want to go somewhere - that's bound to happen. Don't give up. Just keep walking (just keep swimming, just keep swimming...) and you'll get somewhere. It's up to you where.

 

Mickey makes me feel better about internships

Guess what you guys??!

This post is going to be a life lesson I'm learning RIGHT NOW. 

Cause college is just crazy.

So, basically, I'm trying to get an internship for the summer - because that's what responsible people do with their lives (and I'm not crazy about the idea of going back to my old summer job). Unfortunately, I have yet to tack one down. This would probably not be so frustrating if I hadn't been trying to be really on top of this. I started the process of applying for internships back in January and it's now close to the middle of April. So, that part of my life has been rather stressful and not so happy the past little bit. And then of course, because I'm me, this makes me worry about my life and if my career pathway is ever going to work out, etc, etc.

And then Walt Disney spoke words of wisdom to me.

(through a computer)

I only hope that we don't lose sight of one thing - that it was all started by a mouse.

Simple, right?

Well, it's definitely something I needed to hear. Or read...

Life is crazy. And scary. And not at all as predictable as we like to think it is. But something like DISNEY all started with a mouse. If Mickey can do 

this

and this

 

all starting from this

 

 

then, odds are, I'm going to be just fine.

Expect the unexpected!

Honestly, sometimes things just don't go according to plan. 

And Disney knows pretty well how to make that happen.

For instance - 

Or - 

 

Or - 

Or - 

 

Or even - 

Moral of the story?

Expect things to not always go the way that you think or hope that they will. It's okay. It's not the end of the world. And odds are, you're going to laugh about it one day - if you aren't laughing about it yet. Sometimes the romantic moment is ruined. Sometimes the party crashers show up. And sometimes the person off-key sings the loudest. It's okay, just go with it:)

"There's nothing funnier than the human animal."

~Walt Disney

It's Kind of Fun to Do the Impossible

It's Kind of Fun to Do the Impossible

Today is a "let's celebrate the man behind the curtain" kind of day. Because Mondays are just fantastic like that. 

First, some fun facts about Walt Disney:

1. At 16, Disney dropped out of high school to join the army.

2. Unfortunately, that didn't do much for him either seeing as he was rejected for being underage. So then he joined the Red Cross and drove an ambulance for a year in France.

3. He was fired from one of his first jobs at the Kansas City Star because his editor felt that he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas." (I bet that editor later felt like an idiot)

4. He had an animation studio called Laugh-O-Gram before he made it big in Hollywood. Unfortunately, he drove that one into bankruptcy - which is why he then left for California. 

5. He was a chain smoker his entire life and later died of lung cancer at a pretty "young" age of 65 (although it has been said that he made sure to never be seen smoking around children). 

If you really want to know: sources for the above content can be found here, here and here. 

As you may have noticed - these aren't exactly the "happiest" Walt Disney facts ever. But aren't they FANTASTIC?! 

Okay, you're probably thinking that I'm pretty crazy right now. Let me clear up my crazy brain.

I didn't put these up because I don't like Disney and I want everyone to know that he was a chain-smoker, high-school-drop-out. I LOVE Walt Disney. He's one of my favorite people ever. And that's why I put these facts up. Because he was a pretty average guy when you think about it. He had "school troubles." He got fired. He made mistakes. He and his wife had trouble having children. But look at the difference he made in the world. 

I mean, talk about putting your mark on the world!   

One of the things I like most about Disney are his quotes. I think he has some of the best quotes ever. And I really love the one here. It IS kind of fun turning No Way into Why Not?! It IS kind of fun finding out how capable you really are by doing something that scares you. Probably very few people thought that Walt Disney's dream was even close to possible. And look what he did with the impossible.

What are you going to do?

It's kind of fun doing the impossible

~Walt Disney   

Guess What Today Is....

Guess what today is.......

It's my UNbirthday!!!

And I'm going to take a shot in the dark and say that it's YOUR unbirthday too!

Way to make it through another fabulous day, you wonderful person you!

(If it is indeed NOT your unbirthday today - I apologize for all the celebration here that doesn't apply to you. However, I happen to know that if you forgo reading the rest of this post for another 24 hours, this problem will be solved. So come back later!)   

Hopefully you all know where this holiday comes from. If not, short history lesson time: the word originally comes from Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking Glass but was also later used in Disney's 1951 film Alice In Wonderland. "Unbirthday" even has its own Wikipedia page (so you know it's legit) which can be conveniently found here in the event that you want to read up on it more. 

Maybe Mr. Carroll was onto something. I mean, yes, we all get "our special day" once a year. And that's cool and fantastic and makes a lot of sense. But having characters celebrate the day simply for the sake of celebrating - there's something there. 

Not every unbirthday is going to be completely awesome with no worries. 

But most people know that not every birthday is completely awesome with no worries. What makes a day great or not great is not the calendar. It's our attitude toward it. And if you've never celebrated a day for no other reason than to have something to celebrate - than you're missing out. 

Me and my roommate are pretty cool. And we have this thing that we do. It's silly, but it's one of the most fantastic things ever. It just so happens that we're exactly six months apart - with both of our birthdays falling on the eighth day of the month. It just started out with us celebrating one person's "half birthday" on the other's birthday. But then we decided we needed more celebration in our lives. So on every eighth day of the month, we celebrate a whatever-fraction-birthday (for example March 8th was my 7/12 birthday and her 1/12 birthday). Yes. It is just an excuse to buy myself chocolate and feel like a boss. But isn't that the point? A day is however special YOU think it is. 

So celebrate! For a real reason; for a made up reason; or for no reason at all.

Because it's fantastic.

We finally discuss my favorite Disney movie, yo!

I know you've all been dying to know. So I shall reveal the (not so giant) secret:

 

It's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST!

 

 

It'll always be Beauty and the Beast.

 

 

I can't even really tell you why I'm in love with it so much. There are obviously reasons but they aren't necessarily restricted to only this show. So, although it may not make sense to the masses - Beauty and the Beast is just my comfort movie. It's my choice of Disney movie when I've been depressed and need to remember that life's going to be okay. Or when it's too cold to play outside. Or really any time at all.

Reasons why Beauty and the Beast gets to be #1:

1. It was released in 1991 by Walt Disney pictures. 1991 is a good year. 

 

2. I've been told a few times, usually by random people, that I look somewhat like the heroin. And, even though I'm pretty sure hair and eye color are the only things we share in common - I'll take that compliment gladly anytime. 

 

3. A lot of the extras in the show are walking, talking objects - which is just fun to watch.

 

4. Belle is totally awesome! Like really - let's look at this, shall we? She is not Miss Popularity. She's a book worm, which is fantastic. She knows how to use her curiosity well. Does it get her in a bit of trouble? Yes. But were it not for that trouble, the spell would never have been broken. [Curiosity didn't kill the cat. It just let it know it was alive.] Being a Disney princess, she's of course sweet and kind; but she's also got a backbone. I mean, she stands up to a BEAST. Looks him straight in the eye - and then waits for him to look away (which of course he does). And let us not forget that she totally saves the Beast! For some unknown reason, she's not tough enough to withstand Gaston throwing her into a cellar. But once she sees the Beast almost fall off the castle to his death - she summons the almighty power of Hercules and PULLS HIM UP!

Like a boss.

And finally,

5. This story shows that it's really not what's on the outside. Cheesy - I know, but stick with me. Another reason why Belle is awesome is because she doesn't fall for the guy that everyone else is in love with. Because she knows his most prized possession is a mirror. And that's it. That's as far down as he goes. And, to be fair, she's not the biggest fan of the Beast at first either - cause let's face it - he's kind of a bully. But she's willing to take the chance to get to know him which makes her able to look past the scary outward appearance to what's really inside. And that's what she falls in love with. Is he the most gorgeous prince ever (even after changing back to human)? I don't personally think so. But that's never bothered me one bit. I'd still be perfectly happy having a love story like that. Because it's real. 

It's more than skin deep.

 

 

Go exploring already!!

THE WORLD IS HUGE!!!

For real though. I lived in Wyoming during my childhood - my sense of traveling was going to Salt Lake City. 

True fact. 

Disney made me excited to go out and explore because it made me realize how little of the world I had seen. Aladdin, Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Sword in the Stone, Mulan, Rescuers Down Under, Pocahontas, Emperor's New Groove - they all happen in different places around the world, technically speaking. That's cool!

Let's face it - Most romantic stories happen in San Fransisco and Seattle and most "THE WORLD'S GONNA END" movies happen in New York, L.A. or Chicago. Which, is cool. Those places are neat and completely different from anywhere that I've lived before. And I'm definitely excited to see them. But there's a lot more to the world than those five cities. There's a lot more to the world than just the United States of America.

Disney's pretty good about moving their stories around geographically. Granted, I can't exactly go around the world expecting Disney's depictions every place I visit. But I can expect to go out and see something different - something completely foreign to my way of life. And it'll still be new and exciting to me - just like a Disney movie was for me when I was little.

So, go exploring. Find something new. We can't all travel to every country or even every continent in the world. But we can go somewhere different. We can experience something new. 

And we can get excited about the world!

That may seem silly or strange. But the world is a pretty amazing place. It deserves to have people be excited about it. For people to realize how cool it is to live on a planet that is so diverse and so exciting. If you can't travel to Russia - read up on it! Read up on the culture, the people, the customs. If you have a dream to make it to Africa - then work towards that dream, because it'll be worth it. Every little bit. 

As for me?

My first stop is Antarctica so I can go sledding with the penguins.

Because why on Earth not? 

Everyone's a Sidekick

You know who never gets any recognition?

The sidekick.

You know who ends up doing just as much work if not more?

The sidekick.

You know who is responsible for being the comedic relief?

The sidekick.

Being a sidekick is hard work. And, truth is, they don't usually get the recognition or the pat on the back that they should. If you've ever felt that you're the sidekick in someone else's story - then at least you're doing your job right. Hopefully you're helping out when you can, being the comedic relief when everything's about to get too serious and being the live bait that gets chased all over the place. 

Don't stress over it. 

The good news is that the people surrounding you in your life are sidekicks in your story too. Everyone's a sidekick - and that's okay. Because sidekicks are freaking awesome and every story needs at least one. Can you image how boring some shows would be? What would we do without Kronk or Sebastian or Abu?

Probably not even bother watching the show over and over.

So my dear sidekicks - here's your pat on the back or toast to your awesomeness that you never get. Way to NOT be the reason for all the drama. Way to make everyone laugh at the small things. And way to be there for the people in your life. You're pretty cool. 

AND GUESS WHAT???

Despite your being overlooked at crucial moments sometimes - you still make it on the front cover:)

........

 Let's chat about silence shall we?

Did you know that Disney's classic movie Bambi has less than a thousand words in the ENTIRE show? This means that if we took all the talking in Bambi and stuck it together, this full length animated film would last less than 10 minutes. 

Did you also know that Dumbo is the only Disney title character to never speak? Not a word. The whole movie...

Now, I won't lie - neither Bambi nor Dumbo is my favorite Disney movie. I actually find them both rather boring most days. But I still think there's a great lesson to learn from them. Some humans seem to honestly be worried that if they aren't talking or giving their opinion on every little sentence that comes their way, they will shrivel up and die. Come on, we all know that person. Maybe you've been that person before. I don't think talking is a bad thing. Speaking well is actually a very commendable skill. But let's also remember that NOT talking can have it's own power. 

Silent protests are a thing.

Silent films were a thing for a lot of years. 

And an elephant that never says a word got a movie made about him. 

And we've all seen the meme that says, "Disney Pixar created a better love story in 8 minutes [with no talking] than Twilight did in 4 books."

When used in excess - yeah, I think silence can get boring.

But silence has the potential to a very powerful tool when used the right way.Any person that's ever had the "I'm so disappointed" look from their mother knows this. Any person that's cried looking at a painting knows this. Or felt completely content in the middle of the mountains with no connection to the outside world. Silence is cool. And it's necessary sometimes. 

Not to mention,

Actions speak a lot louder than words anyway.

If You Can't Say Anything Nice - Sing It Instead

"If you can't say something nice.... don't say nothin' at all."

(brought to you by Disney's own Thumper)

9 times out of 10 I'm a pretty firm believer in this idea/philosophy. However, sometimes this is a really hard concept to live by. Because sometimes the thing that needs to be said, can't really be put in a "nice" way. 

Sometimes the truth just hurts. 

Luckily Disney provided children with a second alternative to these kinds of sticky situations: If you can't say anything nice - maybe you should try singing it instead. 

Examples of this phenomenon include classical favorites such as He's a Tramp, Cruella de Vil, and Colors of the Wind. Usually being called a tramp is not something to be boasted of, but Disney pulls it off rather well, I think. Even when I was old enough to actually understand exactly what a tramp is, I still thought they had one of the cutest puppy-love-stories ever. And Cruella de Vil? Yeah... that song is nothing but one of the protagonists trashing the villain. But hey - it works, no? And Pocahontas basically uses Colors of the Wind to tell John Smith how close minded his view of the world is. 

Surprised??

Probably not, which is fine.

Take home point - The world is constantly lacking in niceness and friendliness and whenever at all possible, humans should just suck it up and either say something nice or not say anything at all. And when that's not possible? Well, now you have a second option. 

Kick Starting Adventure

Really, this post can be applied to any story. But we're going to apply it to Disney movies.

Cause that makes sense. 

Obviously.

Everyone knows that if there's no conflict, there's not much of a story. Could you imagine how non-heart breaking of a story Titanic would be if the ship actually made it all the way to New York? In fact, if we took out all conflict in that movie, Rose wouldn't have even fallen in love with Jack. She would have ended up Mr. Jerk-face just like she was supposed to and everyone would have lived. And then we'd have absolutely no show. Which means no #2 USA box office hit, moving Breaking Dawn Part 2 into the top 50. 

Need I say more?

Anyway, going back to Disney...

Where would Peter Pan be without Captain Hook? Cinderella without her psychotic step family? Simba without Scar? Kuzco without his llama face???

You get the point.

But really. Let's think about this. Of course everyone knows that yin and yang have to go together. That without the bitter there is no sweet and all that fun stuff. But how many times does that come into our minds when all the crap in life is going on? Disney was probably one of the first to show me that conflict and craziness is part of life. Not only is it part of life, but really, without it you don't have much of a story. Every Disney hero/heroine has to go through a difficult journey or task. Without it, their story remains untold. Without it, no Disney princess may have ever found her prince. And Pacha's family would have had to move to Bolivia. 

So enjoy the fact that you get to have the journey at all. Be grateful for the mess ups and trials that make up your life. Can you imagine how boring your story would be without them? Stress, tension and conflict: that's what kicks starts the adventure. So go with it. 

Because no one wants to make it to heaven without at least some kind of story to tell. 

BFF

Let's talk about The Fox and the Hound. Simply because that's a Disney movie that I don't think gets very much attention, and I'm all for the underdog!

Get it - HOUND, underDOG??

Okay, moving on...

You know what Fox and the Hound taught me? Sometimes you'll encounter people in life that, at first glance, seem like they're just waaay too opposite from you to be worth your time. But if you actually give that person a chance, you might make a friend for life. They might end up being one of the funniest people you know. They might end up being that one friend that you call up to do crazy, random stuff with all the time. They might end up being someone that, years later, you can't imagine not having in your life. And you know what? They may be completely and totally different from you. 

Comfort is awesome.  In fact, I am a huge fan of comfort. But sometimes comfort gets in the way of living a richer life. Sometimes you have to just leave the comfort level and be open to meeting new people. People that are different than you. People that come from different backgrounds than you. 

I think it's fantastic that Disney made a point for Tod and Copper to meet as kids. It's an awesome reminder that the "little kid mentality" doesn't care about who "should" be in the circle of friends and you shouldn't be.

So - be accepting of people. Don't just go off the status quo. Go out and meet someone new and different. Because you never know where you'll end up meeting your next great friend.

"Life's one happy game."

The Happiest Place in Life

Passion. 

That's why people start stuff like this, right? Find something that you're passionate about and then share it with others so that some of that passion can rub off on them. Or so they can think about something in a way they never have before. Because sometimes the world seems to lack in that regard; in people truly LOVING something - you know, that one thing, or person, or idea or group. Days ago I had to honestly ask myself what I'm passionate about. 

It took a little more thought than you would probably expect. I wanted to be able to say something like sports or music or cooking, because those are specific and they're usually what you would think of in this kind of situation. And I do enjoy those things. In fact, I really do love music. It's one of those things that makes my day every day. 

But the answer I really wanted to give was life.

Can you do that? Can be passionate about something so broad? Can you be passionate about something that means completely different things to every person on this planet? Well, I've decided that you can. Because that's really the only way I can think of to describe it. I'm passionate about believing in a life that's worth living and a world that's worth exploring. I'm passionate about the feeling of creativity and freedom that you experience in childhood. 

In fact, I think childhood is awesome. I hope every person was able to experience a time in their life when they believed in anything because the world was socially obligated to let you do just that. And if not - if that time didn't happen for you then - I hope you're making it happen now. I hope you dare to believe in something, not because it's real, but because it makes you happy. Because it helps you be a better person. 

Life is an individual experience for everyone. No two lives are the same. But every life is worth living. Every person is worth believing in. As corny as that sounds. 

You know what else is corny and cheesy? 

Disney.

They've probably come up with some of the cheesiest lines/moments in television history. But you know what? 

Disney totally makes my life.

In all seriousness. 

When I was a kid, my family lived in Wyoming. We owned a TV but never had satellite or cable or anything so a lot of our time was spent either outside or watching Disney movies. My family can have entire conversations consisting mostly of movie quotes - particularly Disney. To some this might be considered weird. I, personally, love it. 

I'm not here to say that Disney gives perfect role models to little kids. Let's face it, Aladdin is a thief and Ariel sells a part of a her body to get a guy. And Disney movies have so many gender stereotypes, it's rather sad. But, to be completely honest, I was too young to catch any of that. So, instead, what I did catch was the good stuff. I learned it's OK to believe. And it's really OK to believe that there's a happily ever after even right in the middle of all the bad stuff. That's not stupid. That's not naive. That's choosing to be happy. 

Life is going to throw some pretty nasty stuff our way. If you haven't encountered at least one witch, evil uncle, or insane employer - then just wait. Because it'll come. But it's OK. Because each life is worth living. And the world we saw as little kids is still worth exploring. 

Disney is cheesy. And corny. And prone to be historically inaccurate. But it is one thing that continues to make me happy. Probably because I feel like a little kid again when I watch Disney movies - and little kids are really good at being happy. 

"Happiness is a state of mind."

~Walt Disney