Once Upon A Dream

For this challenge, I decided to do something a little different. I decided to write about how I have been inspired by Disney Princesses, especially since re-watching them as an adult in recent years. The messages they give are so different when you’re a kid, and seeing as I grew up on all things Disney, I thought I’d share how I have been changed by these classic, timeless, and inspirational women (even if they are fictional).

Snow White showed me optimism. She finds the sunshine on the rainy days, the silver lining of the storm clouds. Even a smile and a song can go a long way. I’ve been in a much better mental position since I stopped focusing on the negatives of every situation. Even giving someone a smile as I walk down the corridor makes me feel better, even when my head’s stuck in another place.

Cinderella was a dreamer and kept her faith in the things she loved in her life. She made her happy ending come true by being true to herself and believing that there is goodness in everyone. She showed me to look fondly on the things I dream about, but that I am the one to make them happen. She was full of faith and kindness, and I am trying to have more faith in myself, and to share her kindness with the world outside the window.

Rapunzel taught me to step outside of my comfort zone, because there’s a whole wide world out there that’s waiting for me to find it. I’d never have started writing on here, showcasing my terrible writing skills to the world without her inspiring me to do so. This is the biggest and probably most difficult thing I've done before, sharing parts or myself for people to judge. But I'm less afraid now I've started, since I took that first step and wrote that first line.

Belle let me know I’m not alone in my love of books and reading. I also feel like a ‘funny girl’, and she proved to me that I don’t have to fit into everyone’s expectations to have a happy life. Beauty is not skin deep, and I have felt much happier about myself following her footsteps. She taught me to stand up for myself, and to hold my own ground, without needing some prince to come and save the day.

Ariel taught me to love who I love, damned be the things people will say about them. If it’s meant to be, then who cares what other people think? She showed me that having a weird collection of random bits and bobs is actually really cool, even when my family would constantly question why I need more clutter. If I’ve got the money and the space, I’ve been collecting the things I love and giving them a new home. Who needs three broken typewriters, a clock that doesn’t work, and a dragon made of swords?

Me. And Ariel, probably.

Moana let me trust my own intuition. I’ve taken steps back before, based on things other people have told me, but in the moments I’ve listened to myself, I’ve made some of the best decisions of my life. She also showed me that the ocean is not that scary, and that if we are kept away from things that might harm us, we’ll never be able to be alone. I’m still learning to be on my own, even for a few days. Its hard, but Moana has showed how far I can go.

Elsa wasn’t happy with her life as queen, and she took it upon herself to change her own path. She’s inspired me, since I last watched the movie, to take the steps necessary to take myself away from places I’m unhappy with, while before I stayed and complained because I didn’t have the courage to leave.

She also taught me to harness my potential, as she did with her magic in the Ice Palace. She turned something she feared and hated into powerful magic, and finally felt like her true self. I’m learning how to be the real me, not the mask I show to other people. She’s teaching me to be myself, and even if some people won’t like me, that’s their problem. Not mine.