My entire childhood was Disney. From Mickey Mouse to The Little Mermaid, I knew it all. I’ve watched all the movies, know most of the lines, and even wore a Disney Princess costume for some Halloweens. Disney World was my favorite family vacation for 8 years, some years even consecutively. From being so involved with a Disney atmosphere, I have realized that the characters, especially the princesses, have taught me a lot as I grew up.
1. The Little Mermaid – Follow your dreams, even if they seem impossible
Most of us know the story. Ariel was a bright young mermaid who fell in love with a human. In the eyes of her father, this was forbidden and an impossible dream to follow through with, but in the end, she ended up living happily ever after. Work as hard as you can, don’t take no for an answer, and eventually, your dreams will turn into a reality.
2. Cinderella – What’s meant to be will be
Prince Charming danced and fell in love with a beautiful maiden the night of the ball. She ran off once the clock struck 12, but left her glass slipper. He searched the whole kingdom to find this beautiful lady, and once he did, they lived happily ever after. Thank goodness she left her slipper, or the prince would’ve never found her. Wait on it. The love of your life is coming. What’s meant to be will find a way.
3. Frozen – You don’t need a SO to be happy
Sometimes we think that being in a relationship is what creates happiness. And yes, being in the correct relationship is lovely and dreamy, but not the only source of happiness. We need to create our own happiness, just like Anna and Elsa did in Frozen. They realized that the power of love is what would melt the frozen kingdom. Not just love from a SO, love from anyone and everyone.
4. Brave – Don’t let anyone tell you who you have to be
Merida is the princess of DunBroch where her hand was going to be given away to the strongest suitor so that two kingdoms could become one. She ended up competing for her own hand and winning the entire competition because she had no desire to be a princess or to be married. This was all because of her parents and their “rules and morals.” Just like Merida, I’ve learned to be who I want to be and follow my own dreams for myself rather than be a carbon copy of what society says to do or live someone else’s dream.
5. Princess and the Frog – Kissing a frog will not always give you a prince
People don’t change, they only sometimes mature. You can’t always fix people and take the negative out of them. Tiana kissed Prince Naveen and thought he would turn into a prince, but then she turned into a frog herself. Even though it was a beautiful story, my point still stands. Don’t let someone dull your sparkle with their negative and bad judgment. Treat them how you want to be treated and when they don’t give back the same effort, hop away.
These few keys takeaways have truly helped me be the most confident person that I can be. They have allowed me to take a step back and learn to love myself the way that I was to. Thanks, Disney!