We always have loved the comic relief from some of Warner Bros or Disney animation feature films, but we have always seen them as just that “comic relief”.
However, these storytellers often have intuitive and insightful lessons that we can all learn from and apply in our lives to make us better people. Aside from the comical and hilarious aura you get from these cartoons, there are some invaluable lessons that we can learn too. Here are our top lessons we’ve got from our animated friends.
Your Life Is Your Own So Face Your Problems Head On
Disney / Pixar full-feature cartoon; Brave starring Merida, a girl who turns defiant and tries to escape her betrothal all the while embarking on a new fantasy adventure. She escapes her marriage proposal and while on her adventure she finds a witch who gives her a cake that would change her destiny. However, when she gives it to Elinor, she is transformed into a bear, and now Merida has to repair the bond which was cut by her pride. She now embarks on a new quest to turn Elinor back and change her fate.
The plot clearly depicts some of the choices we’re faced within our lives to solve our problems. Merida tries to run away from her problems, but ultimately, she is forced to face her problems head on. This reminds us that our lives are our own and if we run away from our problems they will always catch up with us. It’s better to face your problems head on and take charge of your life than run away.
Unless You Get Out of Your Comfort Zone, You Won’t Find Anything Better
Walt Disney animation studios and Disney picture released a cartoon called Tangled, which is loosely related to Rapunzel, a German fairy tale. It’s about a girl, Rapunzel who thanks to a golden flower that has golden healing properties like that of the flower. She is stolen from her parents by Gothel, because of the healing properties of her hair which Gothel uses to retain her youth. Gothel raises Rapunzel in a secret tower, but Rapunzel on a rebellious spree decides to escape the tower with the help of Flynn. She went into the Kingdom and reunited with her parents, the King and Queen.
Rapunzel was always restrained from venturing out of the tower on the premise that the world is a dangerous place by her captor. Even though she is safe in the tower, she wishes for something better, which led to escape her from “comfort zone” so to speak and was able to meet her real parents and see what the world had to offer. Many times, we wish for something better, a better life, better job, better house, etc. the only restrictions we have are those we impose on ourselves. We fear the unknown and choose to stay in our comfort zones where it’s safe, but this stops us from getting what we want. So unless you get out of your comfort zone, you won’t find anything better.
Be Yourself Because Everyone Else Is Taken
This lesson is especially depicted in the Cartoon series “How to train your dragon.” The main star, Hiccup, had always wanted to emulate and be exactly like his father or everyone else on the island.
For a long time, he resisted and refused to accept that he wasn’t good at slaying dragons or that he didn’t look like a Viking. Hiccup imagined a true born Viking had long bushy beards, scars and a missing limb which wasn’t anything like him. Hiccup often landed in bad situations when he tried to slay a dragon, but it was until he accepted himself for who he was, was he able to rise, shine and grow.
A wise man once said that self-acceptance was the key to growing, instead of trying to emulate or be someone else, accept yourself for who you are. We have always emulated people and role models so much that we often forget to be ourselves. As much as we try to model our lives to that of others, we should never forget our true selves. Because everyone else is already taken, you can only be yourself. Hiccup did exactly that and was even able to get the girl of his dreams.
Your Dreams Should Scare You, So Dream Bigger!
Olaf from the cartoon Frozen dreamt of enjoying the summer one day. This was a crazy dream since he was a snowman and that meant he would melt like ice cream in the sun. However, that didn’t stop Olaf from dreaming; it encouraged him even more.
Olaf ignored the bluntly dream-shattering comments he received and chose to be vibrant and remained positive that he would someday be able to enjoy the summer. We’ve all had big dreams, dreams that seemed impossible and people never cheered us on.
Ironically, people who have been crazy enough to have huge dreams usually achieve them. The next time someone puts you down or makes you feel like your dreams are delusions of grandeur, do what Olaf did. Remain cheerful, positive, and your dreams will come true. Dream bigger!
Conclusion
Even though cartoons are made to entertain children, they do offer invaluable lessons in subtle ways. They teach us to be ourselves, get out of our comfort zones, face our problems and dream big. The next time you watch a cartoon be sure to look for those subtle cues, there could be a goldmine of the lesson you can learn from.
