I have been a huge Disney fan for as long as I can remember, I love Disney movies as they have always been uplifting and motivational for me. I love being able to sit down and become a part of the world up on the screen, and let everything else go even if it is just a short reprieve from everything else going on. So when I heard all the reactions to and great reviews for Disney's "Frozen", I was excited for the opportunity to see it, and my high expectations for it were met. I absolutely enjoyed the story and the characters within the movie, but I was most drawn to the positive messages which it contained. Most of all the message contained within the popular song "Let it Go" which is what I would like to talk about in this post.
Letting it go, can mean so many things and I would imagine it means something different for each of us, but being this is my post I am going to be talking about what it has meant to me and the inspiration that it has provided me in my life. But I would love to hear how it has inspired you or your kids, so be sure and leave your experiences below in the comments section.
To start with I would like to pull out individual lines from the song and discuss how I related to it and or how it made me feel. The first line is "A Kingdom of Isolation" in the song Elsa is referring to being alone on the mountain as well as the separation from her friends and family. I quickly related to this particular line, because I like Elsa have become withdrawn and kept to myself as much as possible. Sure I have always tried to stay close to my family but even while with them I tend to withdraw and hold back. And because of the difficulties with my weight and my lack of success in school (I plan to discuss both of these further in a future post), I have felt ashamed of who I have and or have not become. So though it is by my own doing and design I have become very withdrawn and some may say anti-social over the years. So as I thought about Elsa's situation and how she was recognizing the effect her isolation has had on her and her loved ones, it gave me hope that I to could start breaking down some of the walls I have built up in my own kingdom of isolation. And Incase you have not guessed it this blog is one of my wrecking balls, that I have slaughtered out to help me tear down these walls.
The next lines that I related with was "The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside,
Couldn’t keep it in, heaven knows I tried." For those who don't know me and probably for many who do know me, I am not a very open person with my feelings good or bad I tend to keep them locked up inside for as long as possible. So I truly related to this feeling, I can't tell you how many sleepless nights I have spent stirring in my bed, or how many lost moments I have had because I am unable to focus or concentrate on the task at hand. All because I tend to keep everything inside and to myself. Why do I keep it all bottled in? Well I still don't really know, but I suppose a lot of it is I don't want to upset or worry others with my problems or concerns. It definitely is not because I am lacking in supportive people in my life, because I have so many great friends and family. But I just don't like to be a burden, or feel that if I can carry another's burden to prevent any hardship to them, that I will. While I still believe at times it is okay to hold back and keep some things to yourself, I am trying to open up more and it has been a healthy step in my life.
This next line kind of follows along with the last one, but I will add to it anyhow "Don’t let them in, don’t let them see...Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know." A big part of withdrawing from others and the world you live in concealing your feelings, you always try to put on a happy face in front of others. Or in my case I learned that it was easier to make fun of myself before others, did it on their own. At least this way I could put up the appearance that my weight and other issues did not bother me. While I know this defensive approach, did at times make things easier on me, overall it probably played a big part in my becoming so critical of myself. From this I have learned the importance of trying to be more open, not only with others but with myself as well.
And the next line says"Well, now they know," and though this line in its self did not really inspire me, I can promise that once you open up and let others in you will find peace. I know for me the more I open up and the more people I let it in and the more I let go, the happier my life has become. And once you start to "let it go" you will see that the next line holds great power "Can’t hold it back anymore." Because once you start to "let it go" you'll see that not only can you not hold it back anymore but you will soon realize you no longer need or want to hold it back.
While I still struggle with this next one, I am still working on bettering myself with this, it says I don’t care, what they’re going to say." I have told myself time and time again that I don't care what others think and while this may have helped me feel better about myself thinking I did not care, I still avoided people because I knew I did care what they thought. Being a bigger person you almost have to harden yourself against the judgment of others at times, because you do often get judged on your outward appearance. And unfortunately a lot of people tend to react and or treat obese people differently, while some have cruel intent most do not, but unfortunately the truth can be hurtful no matter how it is found. So though cold thoughts and words do bother me I am trying to let that go as well.
The next two lines also hold a lot of truth to them the first is "It’s funny how some distance
makes everything seem small." With this I have found that it is so true that the further you get from any situation the easier it is to accept or digest. Often times when we are in the heat of the moment, it is hard to be as understanding, but as we cool down and begin thinking more rationally we can better understand not only our own perspective but that of the others involved. And I believe that when we better understand others we can learn to love them more fully which allows us to forgive them and let go of the past. Which plays a huge part in the line that follows which is "And the fears that once controlled me, can’t get to me at all." Which again speaks another absolute truth, at least from my experience. Because once you go through all the stages described in song and begin to "Let it go, you will be freed from your fears that have held you back for so long, and you be free to move forward in life.
And you will know that "It’s time to see what I can do," because the limits that you have placed on yourself for so many years will be gone and you'll be free to "To test the limits and break through," the barriers you once found security in, but now you can say "I’m free!"
As you "Let it go" you will see the inspiration behind this next line as well "I am one with the wind and sky." Which again I am sure we will all pull different meaning from this line, based our own individual beliefs and experiences. But for me learning to let go, has helped to become one with not only myself and my family, but also with Heavenly Father and my savior Jesus Christ. Because as I have learned to open up with my self and others and began to repair my relationship with them and though it is still a work in progress I am starting to feel at one with them once again.
“I’m never going back, the past is in the past.” Is another key point in the song, because after you start to progress forward in life it is almost inevitable that something or someone is going to try and bring you back down. And all to often in life (at least for me) when we take one step forward we falter and end up join back two or three steps. So it is absolutely crucial that as your progressing forward in life that you find a solid foundation to build upon so that you have the proper support all around you to keep you up. And while the past is in the past, and most often we should keep it there, but while we are looking and moving forward. We need to not forget where we came from and the experiences that have made us who we are so that we can learn from them and use that to rise from our past like the break of dawn.
