Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Sleeping Beauty and the rules Disney plants that shape our lives

Images and events as a child impact our thinking for much of our lives.  Our personal interpretation of events can shape the way we interact, empowering us or hampering us as we pursue goals, chase dreams and engage life.

As a child, personal events certainly helped to shape my life.  When I was young, and my family was visiting my grandma Brown, I would give her a kiss on the cheek.  She said to me, just between us, that those kisses would keep her here forever.  Not three days later, she died.  For years, I felt I had killed her by not providing enough kisses.  Only years later, with horror and an understanding heart, did my parents realize my childish interpretation and attempt to correct the perspective.  Yet, even today, I chide myself as to whether I have done enough to help either a person, an event, a cause, or a community.

Similarly, beyond events, things we watch and enjoy as family, also help to shape our place in the world, providing guidance and ideas that might help us in our quests.  I have found that many of my most basic rules for business, choosing a home, or the way to face the world come from movies from Disney.

From the Jungle Book, there is “Bare Necessities” which instructed me to forget about my worry and my strife.  And, I carry an inordinate amount of worry at times, yet seem to thrive under it.  From Mary Poppins, who doesn’t consider a spoonful of sugar to help medicine go down when we have colds?  Heck, Mary Poppins makes every chore fun!  And, of course, deadlines certainly would not have significance were it not for Cinderella.

Yet, as a child, there is one movie which taught me more about protection, defense, developing strategy, while planting seeds of heroism, fighting the good fight, and working hard to rescue those less fortunate would be “Sleeping Beauty”.


On May 30, 2014, the new “Sleeping Beauty” called "Maleficent" will be released.  I know that it will rise or fall based on whether I find those same rules inherently supported.  You ask what those rules?  Let me share.

Rule 1.  You are safer when you live discreetly, with a guard, a gate, and a maze between you and unknown danger.

Rule 2.  Be wary of danger but always speak to turn away death.

Rule 3.  Dreams are seldom what they seem.  And, so to, are people.  Those who are what they seem are few and far between and are to be cherished.

Rule 4.  There are those who look human who are truly dragons of evil.

Rule 5.  Avoid sewing machines.  It could cost you your life.

Rule 6.  There is always someone who is willing to fight for you, someone who will break down the gates of hell to reach you.  You just might not know who that person is, yet.  But, that doesn't mean you should go to hell to find out.

Rule 7.  As you age, always be nice to those who dote on you.  For they are the ones who look out for you, love you, and encourage you, no matter your choices or destiny.  They are also the ones who magically can change the world for you.

Rule 8.  Be good to faeries.

Disney has a few rules to live up to with this new release and interpretation of “Sleeping Beauty”.  Evil is always evil but sometimes it is good to be able to sympathize with how evil is created so as to understand why forgiveness is so important.

I hope you are as excited to see the new “Sleeping Beauty”.  In my home, “Once upon a Dream” has been sung for decades.  And, the new haunting version has regularly been played from Youtube for many months now since its original release.


What rules have you held close from childhood?  And, where did you find the rule?

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