“I am Merida, and I’ll be shooting for my own hand.” ~ Merida, BRAVE, 2012
How often do we feel like we need to be rescued? Where do we look to find solutions to our problems? In the movie Brave, Princess Merida decides to “fight the system” and compete for her own hand in marriage.Against her mother’s wishes, she participates in and wins the archery competition between the young men from the other clans whose families accepted the invitation to marry the young princess. What lesson can we learn from this character? What is it about Merida and her actions that can teach us to be brave in our own lives?
During the story, Merida feels the most freedom when she is out in nature, living in the moment on her “princess duty-free” days. Here, we learn the importance of maintaining our connection with nature, of learning to appreciate every moment, and to bask in the joy that each day brings. Even after her mom is turned into a bear, the pair experiences the most joy when out in nature enjoying each moment together. How can living in the present make us a hero? Continue reading “Becoming Our Own Hero: Lessons Learned from a Disney Princess”