5 Empowering Disney Songs For Feeling in Control of Your Life

I get a lot of questions from people asking me how I'm so happy all the time. The simple answer is that I limit the sad things in my life. I surround myself with stuff that makes me feel good, and Disney of course plays a huge part in that. Here are five Disney songs that make me feel strong, happy and empowered.

1. Zootropolis - Try Everything

This song is an obvious pick for this list. It's upbeat, energetic, motivational and catchy. It's written by Sia, Tor Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen. The latter two are actually Norwegian, which makes me feel proud of my fellow nationals. The fact that it's performed by Shakira only makes it better. In the movie, the song is played as Judy Hopps arrives in Zootropolis to start her career as a police officer. It's an incredibly uplifting tune, and kind of serves the purpose of a pep talk. My favourite line from the song is "Sometimes we come last but we did our best". You're not always gonna win or achieve what you hoped for, and that's okay. As much as we want to focus on getting what we want, it's important to be able to handle defeat. The important thing is to keep trying, and to believe in yourself.

2. I am Moana - Moana

The soundtrack from Moana is amazing. It has a fun vibe, lots of emotion and great lyrics that are easy to sing along to. I'm hoping everyone's seen this movie by now, but in case you haven't, I'll try not to spoil anything. Let's just say that this song is playing when Moana needs a little support to continue on the task she's set out to do. To me, the song is really about doing what you were born to do, and being strong enough to do what you want. It's not always gonna be easy, and you might need some help along the way. Doing what's right for you isn't always gonna be presented as your easiest option, but you can do it. My favourite line is one that her grandma sings: "Nothing on earth can silence this quiet voice still inside you.". You are who you are, and you'll always be drawn towards your goal or your passion. If you don't follow your dreams, you'll never be able to silence the voice inside you, urging you to do just that.

3. Touch the Sky - Brave

When I first saw Brave I was playing this song on repeat every day, and it's one of my favourite opening scenes to a movie. Touch the Sky has such a nice feel to it, it's cozy and homely, and the Scottish/Gaelic style makes it a very pleasant listen. I love how the song immediately lets us know what kind of person Merida is, it expresses her wild personality and limitless attitude. The lyrics tell us that it's good to stand out and be your own person, and to do what you want. The "Chase the wind and touch the sky." line makes me feel at one with the world, and that I can belong and be at home anywhere. Life is a lot about going with the flow and seeing where it takes you, and this song is about embracing your journey.

4. Go the Distance - Hercules

This is obviously one of the most empowering songs from any Disney movie, so it has of course secured a spot on this list. It's an uplifting and emotional track, and quite a typical Disney protagonist song. It has lots of Disney magic and instantly makes you feel good. My favourite line from the song is "I don't care how far, somehow I'll be strong.". When it comes to following your dreams, you really need to gather up all your strength and do whatever you have to do to reach your goals. It'll be hard work, but "the great warm welcome" is absolutely worth it. I've taken several big leaps in my life, and I relate strongly to this song. Reaching your goals and making your life what you want it to be is worth all the work you put into it, you just gotta be strong and work hard.

5. Just Around the Riverbend - Pocahontas

One of the best examples of empowered Disney characters, Pocahontas expresses the importance of following your own path, rather than doing what society expects from you. We all have a choice in life. You have to make decisions for what path you want to follow. There are definitely easier paths than others, but that doesn't mean we should go down them. At some point you'll have to choose between a safer path and a more uncertain one. Are you prepared to risk something good for the chance of something even better? Some choices are easy and some are harder, and some have more on stake than others. In this song Pocahontas embraces the excitement of not knowing for certain where your path will take you, and I think we should all feel inspired by this.

Those were five empowering Disney songs! I hope they can help you on your journey!