How Disney Shaped Me

        Disney, from a young age, helped me understand and appreciate the differences between me and the people around me.  Whether that means briefly learning about a historical culture in Mulan or teaching me about disabilities, like Dory's "remembery loss" or physical disabilities in a number of Disney Channel original shows, I learned the importance of acceptance and appreciation as well as learning just how similar everybody is (even if some of the characters were animals).

        Disney also exposed me to teamwork.  I hold the mantra from John C. Maxwell that "teamwork makes the dream work" very close to my heart.  Themes of teamwork showed up in almost, if not all, of my favorite Disney movies, from Lilo and Stitch to Toy Story and from Finding Nemo to Monsters Inc. 

        Disney taught me that it is okay to be emotional.  This came both from emotional characters and from the reactions of people around me while watching.  My dad, your classic "tough-guy" exterior with the biggest heart, could be spotted crying during so many beloved Disney movies, like the sad montage in Up or the gut-wrenching, inevitable growing up in Toy Story 3.

        "Hakuna Matata" taught me to brush off the worries when it doesn't help to worry.  Other aspects of The Lion King taught me to be brave and to value my friendships.

        Growing up, I had many real-life strong female role models, but it didn't hurt to see them in some of my favorite movies as well.  Mulan was one of my main movie role models.  Looking back on the movie, I am not a fan of the fact that she had to disguise herself as a man in order to be taken seriously, but I am still amazed by her strength and persistence as a character.  The lioness Nala from The Lion King was also a strong role model for me, despite her being a lion.  Nala took on impressive feats, encouraging my own independence and ambition.  I also loved seeing the more "nerdy" Belle from Beauty and the Beast.  She showed me that it was cool to like to read and learn, which were not values that commonly came across in children's movies and especially TV.  Last, but certainly not least, I had great respect for Princess Leia in Star Wars (and now Rey in The Force Awakens) and I looked up to her.  Similarly, High School Musical taught me that it is cool to have diverse interests.

        I loved some of the humor in Disney movies, and I believe that I absorbed a lot of it, although maybe my humor has since changed.  Two of my favorite movies in terms of the comedy aspect were The Ice Age and Monsters Inc.  Both would have me laughing on the floor.  Humor and laughing were huge parts of my childhood, and a lot of that came from Disney.

        Most of all, I just thoroughly enjoyed Disney movies.  I would be so excited for the release of all of them.  I still look forward to the new movies.  I saw the midnight premiere of The Force Awakens and I saw Finding Dory very soon after release.  The anticipation of the movies would brighten the weeks before seeing them, and the happiness from seeing them would stick around for a while after.  Looking forward to Moana and The BFG :)