A couple weeks ago, I wrote about my incredibly strong connection to Disney’s Frozen. I found myself understanding Anna’s side of the story, since I went through a similar childhood experience with my sister. No, she did not have magic ice powers, but our relationship often felt cold and distant just like that of the Arendelle sisters.
This article is about Frozen 2, which came out in November of 2019. It follows the story of Queen Elsa and her journey through the enchanted forest and dark seas in search of a mysterious voice that calls out only to her. Her sister Anna and friends Kristoff and Olaf join her on this journey, much to her dismay. As the journey gets darker and more dangerous, Anna learns to understand that she can’t follow Elsa throughout the entirety of their journey. Anna’s entire role in Frozen 2 spoke to me on a deeply personal level.
There is someone in my life of which I had to let go due to them moving on and living their own life. I didn’t realize how difficult it would be to live my own life apart from them, but it’s possible. Do I miss them every day? Yes. Do I still want them in my life? Of course, but at the end of the day it’s not my decision. I cannot force someone to be in my life and do what I want them to do. If I could do that, then they would be miserable, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. I had to learn that just because someone is leaving you physically, it does not mean that they are leaving you forever.
Throughout this entire process, I went through one of the hardest periods of depression in my life. It was dark, quiet, and made me feel hopelessly alone. I felt as though there was no one in my life that could truly understand how I felt and that they would just say “well that’s life, you’re going to have to get through it,” which is one of my least favorite sayings in the entire world. When I hear this phrase, I think of “Hey everyone goes through this, stop being a baby” or “just get over it, it’s life.” I personally find that very invalidating and it makes me feel as though the person I’m talking to really wasn’t listening in the first place.
Something that helps me get through my periods of depression is music. I believe that music and song lyrics are incredibly inspiring and uplifting, including Disney music! One of the amazing songs off the Frozen 2 soundtrack is called ‘The Next Right Thing’ sung by Kristen Bell, who is the voice of Princess Anna. This song gives some of the best advice regarding helping yourself through depression or grief. The main point of the song is that when you find yourself at your lowest, with no hope or strength, just try to do the next right thing: take one step at a time, even if it’s a small one. I like to take this advice both with my bigger life choices and in my everyday life. I know that when I get depressed or hopeless, I don’t do anything. I just lay in bed listening to music or sleeping – but doing one thing helps. Usually it involves cleaning my room, doing laundry, or even taking a shower. Just take things one step at a time and slowly you’ll find yourself walking on your own again.
I’m going to include the full lyrics to this song, and I hope that everyone reading this decides to listen to this song and understands why I have such a strong love for it. I know Disney has become more progressive in recent years, but including such a serious topic in a musical is a step in the right direction. Hopefully we can all take a step in the right direction the next time we get a little lost.
The Next Right Thing
Performed by: Kristen Bell
I’ve seen dark before, but not like this
This is cold, this is empty, this is numb
The life I knew is over, the lights are out
Hello, darkness, I’m ready to succumb
I follow you around, I always have
But you’ve gone to a place I cannot find
This grief has a gravity, it pulls me down
But a tiny voice whispers in my mind
You are lost, hope is gone
But you must go on
And do the next right thing
Can there be a day beyond this night?
I don’t know anymore what is true
I can’t find my direction, I’m all alone
The only star that guided me was you
How to rise from the floor?
But it’s not you I’m rising for
Just do the next right thing
Take a step, step again
It is all that I can to do
The next right thing
I won’t look too far ahead
It’s too much for me to take
But break it down to this next breath, this next step
This next choice is one that I can make
So I’ll walk through this night
Stumbling blindly toward the light
And do the next right thing
And, with it done, what comes then?
When it’s clear that everything will never be the same again
Then I’ll make the choice to hear that voice
And do the next right thing
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Kristen Anderson-Lopez / Robert Lopez
The Next Right Thing lyrics © Walt Disney Music Company