Favorite ...Disney Movie

On a recent road trip, out of the blue I asked everyone in the car, "What's your favorite Disney movie?"

When it was my turn to answer, I couldn't limit to just one.  I like several, and for different reasons.  Here's the list I came up with.

• Sleeping Beauty  ~  Princess Aurora is beautiful, but it's Prince Phillip and Merryweather, the fighters and defenders of the movie, who make this one sweet.  I loved Merryweather's spunk so much, I dressed like her for Halloween once.  And who could turn down a man who would face and defeat a dragon of Hell to save his love?
• Beauty and the Beast  ~  The friendship that grows from this one is the highlight of the story.  Belle learns to see past the outward appearance, and she notices when the Beast is selfless.  The Beast is given a chance to act like a human, and the transformation of his heart melts mine.
• Mulan  ~  A coming-of-age story with honor, danger, a hopeful wish of romance, building friendships, and a large goal.  All with a happy ending.  This is my favorite type of story to write, and this one is arranged beautifully.
• The Princess and the Frog  ~  I love to watch opposites Naveen and Tiana, a lazy party guy and a workaholic woman, find the balance of play and work.  And I like that Naveen catches on a little quicker than Tiana does and is ready to sacrifice.  These two are crafted well for each other.
• Tangled  ~  The adventure is fun, Mother Gothel is frighteningly convincing - making an excellent villain, and I couldn't love Eugene and Rapunzel more.  But the end makes this movie.  Eugene's sacrifice ties my stomach in knots, and every time I fear that all is lost.  Yet in that loss, it is beautiful because Eugene's choice reminds me of Jesus of the Bible on His way to and hanging from the cross.  It leaves me speechless.

What's your favorite Disney movie?  What about it touches your heart?

Gotta work for my dreams.

I take from Disney's "The Princess and the Frog", other stories, and from life.  You gotta work for your dreams.  I've gotta work for mine.

If life were handed to you on a silver platter, would that be any fun?  Well, okay, yes it would.  Sort of.  Work isn't a bad thing.  Adam and Eve worked before they sinned when the world was without blemish, so I think it's safe to understand that work, of itself, is not a bad thing.  And dedicated work pays off.  The great people of history are renowned because they didn't quit, and they didn't sluff off the tasks at hand.  They worked for their goals and dreams, and it paid off.

I need to remember this.  I forget and tend to think, "It's my day off.  I should study or outline a story, but it's my 'day off.'  I don't want to work today."  But you know what?  Nothing gets accomplished that way.  I dream of getting paid to write, but a dream without work behind it is a daydream—thin, fleeting, and far from satisfying.

I'm not knocking rest and taking time to smell the roses.  Actually, I'm all about rest.  I love rest; it's a great pastime.  But remembering that work is a good thing and that it leads to better things, well, it's something I need to do a little more often.  Perhaps remembering that working for something, toward a goal, does actually lead to better things is the hardest part for me.

Every protagonist in a story works for their goal (all characters should).  Did you ever wonder why characters not only have to have a dream or a goal but must work to achieve it?  Why it's not going to be handed to them?  Because our goals are not going to be handed to us.

I need to remember that my goals are achievable, and that should give me heart.  I like stories that show just how hard a character had to work for the goal, because when it's achieved, I am inspired.  I am motivated.

So, do this: Realize that fiction is what it is and has the plot elements that it does for a reason.  It's a reflection of the challenges and the grandness of the life we live.  Dream bigger than fiction, because life is bigger than fiction, and work for your dreams.

I'ma gonna get up now and get to it.  I daydream big.  Now it's time to make it real.


P.S. - If you say, hear, or think the word "life" enough times, it starts to sound really funny.  Life!