Let's talk Disney princesses for a minute.
My entire childhood was based around these princesses and wanting to be like them. Now that I'm older, I see the flaws in the princess industry. For example, the impossible beauty standards and the damsel-in-distress theme.
When I was younger, though, I never saw those flaws. These princesses taught me many wonderful things that I apply in adulthood almost every day. They taught me to keep my imagination, they gave me standards I should have for myself and for men, and they also showed me that kindness and joy provide you with inner beauty and strength; the strength that can overcome any obstacle.
For today, I want to focus on Cinderella and how her infinite kindness is a lesson to us all.
Cinderella's tale is not just a damsel-in-distress story.
It is a story of a different kind of strength that most people completely overlook: choosing joy and kindness over bitterness.
Cinderella remained innocent through all of her trauma and struggles, even when given a situation she could not escape. Her kindness revealed an inner beauty that is much more important than outside beauty. In fact, that is how most (if not all) of the classic Disney princesses cope with their situations.
Today's definition of strength lies mostly in the more masculine style of fighting one's way out of any situation, but society ignores the equally important strength of choosing kindness and joy in every situation. A strength that is seen as much more feminine.
Each Disney princess has the feminine strength that few have achieved, yet most have discarded as weakness.
There are so many things in life that you cannot control. Cinderella could not control the deaths of her parents or her stepmother's constant abuse.
There is one thing, however, that you can change: your perspective.
Cinderella chose joy and love over bitterness and hate. Given her traumatic childhood, she has every reason to despise her stepmother and stepsisters (and justifiably so), yet served them with the same zeal and effort every day, despite their ungratefulness and haughtiness. You cannot choose your situation, only how you react to it.
Cinderella helped me through my constant struggle with anxiety, and later on, depression. A traumatic incident happened to me when I was younger that set off a chronic depression that I have wrestled with for about seven years now. I learned through it that happiness comes and goes, but joy is chosen constantly.
Cinderella taught me that I can choose to be the victim of a situation or I can rise above and be the victor. Through Christ, I have chosen to be the victor.
Not to say that it does not get difficult sometimes. Even Cinderella cried.
I had to learn how to motivate my brain to even want to choose joy. Life can take so much from you sometimes, but it is learning that it can also give as much.
It is switching the way you think about life, remembering that there are so many opportunities, so many people to meet, so many things you can do, and so many little things that can be blessings. Cinderella's optimism inspired me to look for the good in every situation.
For every traumatic incident, mean person, and boring job, there are also incidents of joy, people whose kindness is inspiring, and ways you can have fun.
For me, I sometimes even get happy when I'm stressed over a big test because I remember that I used to live under that stress all of the time and that is not my life anymore. Eventually, I got outside help, which I recommend to those who need it, but that has not made me forget what I learned.
In the same way that Cinderella got relief from her horrible situation in her happy ending, I got relief from anxiety as my happy ending.
Cinderella was definitely a role model in deciding to actively choose victory. I learned to choose joy and love, which proves that it is possible for anyone to be happy in spite of the situation.
Every person has the ability to choose love and joy. Will you?
