Everyone has good days and bad days, some worse than others. Often times these bad days make me think if I'm doing the right thing or that there is nothing to make it better. During those days, I like to reflect back on Disney movies. In every Disney movie, there has been a quote that stands out to me in a way to make these bad days better.
1. "Sometimes the right path is not always the easiest one." Grandmother Willow- Pocahontas
Many of us can relate to this quote because of its accuracy, the right thing to do is never usually the easiest option. I knew coming to college was going to be difficult and at times make me question if I had made the right choice by attending. The end of every semester always proves itself to be the most difficult, but when my grades are posted and the work is done, I feel at peace with my decision. Not all of my grades are what I want them to be, but I know that I gave my best effort and that all those nights of stress are worth every second.
2. “Oh, yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it you can either run from it or learn from it.” Rafiki- The Lion King
A few weeks ago, I looked back at grades from past semesters and cringed. The D’s seem to scream at me, telling me that I have failed, and making me want to hide instead of facing them. There is really only one thing to do in these situations: reflect. Looking back on those flawed semesters, I realize that I could have spent an hour or so working on those classes instead of binging on Grey’s Anatomy. Every now and then, a Netflix binge is good, but there are some times when it can wait. Setting aside an hour or so to indulge is plenty when there is a mound of homeworking sitting on my desk and I need a break from studying notes to relax!
3. “The only way to get what you want in this world is through hard work” Tiana- The Princess and the Frog
Considering we are working towards careers that require such vast knowledge and skills, school is supposed to be difficult. Although I plan to teach elementary-aged children, I must have critical knowledge of five subject areas just to be able to create a lesson. My math course alone leaves me dedicating countless hours to it after class and dreaming about fractions and probabilities at night. There is no “easy” career that you can attain by putting less than your full effort into getting to where you need to be.
4. “It never hurts to keep looking for sunshine.” Eeyore- Winnie the Pooh
We all have those days where we think the world is out to get us and that the sun will never shine, but we can’t give up. Even on days where everything is going wrong, I always encourage myself to look for the good in every situation. Just the other day, I was walking to class after grabbing a coffee when I slipped on ice and spilled it all over the ground. I took that as a sign that I did not need a third coffee and that I could get through the rest of the day without it. I looked to find the good in the fiasco, and I realized that if I kept the coffee, I would have never been able to sit still or sleep that night, and that would have put me in a bad mood the next day. Never stop looking for the good in even the worst days.
