"Let It Go" - Lessons learned from a Disney Princess

This morning, I had the opportunity to play Elsa at a Christmas event at St Luke’s in Hot Springs. I owe a huge thank you to Stacy Webb for giving me that opportunity! I was able to take pictures and intermingle with several Frozen fans. Being able to interact with the children, who were in absolute awe of Elsa, Anna, and Olaf, was a blessing.

  Being a girl, I absolutely love princess movies. Each story holds its own secret message, and while the kids don’t quite realize what they are being taught at the moment, I can honestly say that Disney has taught me a great deal over the past 15 years. As I reflect on my morning as Elsa, I would like to express the emotions and realizations I have had while watching the Frozen movie.

 Disney has created some pretty outstanding princess characters and  I am sure most of you are familiar with Disney’s “Frozen”, but for those who are not; Elsa and Anna are two amazing sisters with a bond that can withstand anything.  When Elsa runs away out of fear of her powers, and traps the kingdom Arendelle in eternal winter. Anna follows after her to not only save Arendelle, but to save Elsa as well. Elsa looks poised, regal and reserved, but in reality, she lives in fear as she wrestles with a might secret- she was born with the power to create ice and snow.

I can’t help but relate what I learned from “Frozen” back to my “Bullying” platform.  I feel as though the feelings that Elsa is wrestling with are similar to the feelings that victims of bullying have also felt. When you are bullied or put down because of a quality you posses, you feel as though you must hide that quality, and you begin to feel embarrassed or ashamed. Elsa learns that you have to embrace who you are and let it all go.

In her signature song from the movie, she says: “…don’t let them in, don’t let them see. Be the good girl you always have to be. Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know…” Often times this is how the world makes us feel; like we have to conform to a standard that others set. You should always be yourself, and never fear the judgment of others. Elsa learned to “Let it go.” I believe that we all should too. Don’t let the judgment and bullying of others cause you to conceal the real you. You are unique in your own way and that is something you should always embrace.