As most kids are, I was raised on Disney movies, well, and Pokémon, but that's another blog post completely. Anyway, my childhood was spent watching and re-watching everything from "Snow White" to "The Black Cauldron" to "Finding Nemo" to "Lion King 1 1/2." So these are some lessons that I took from it.

1. "Winnie the Pooh"

First off, my favorite Disney franchise of all time. This may have something to do with the fact that Piglet is practically my spirit animal, right down to the anxiety and smallness. However, tossing that aside, Winnie the Pooh taught me that it's okay to be different. Everybody has problems and we are not in any position to judge someone else's. As Elder Dale G. Renlund says in his April 2015 General Conference talk, "we know perfectly well that we are not perfect." If we are not perfect, then how can we expect anyone else to be? We all have our flaws, just like the characters. In Tigger's song, he says, "the most wonderful thing about Tiggers is that I'm the only one!" We are all unique and we all have something to offer. You matter. What you have to say is important. Life isn't about the mistakes you've made or the things you've lost. It's about staying true to yourself and remembering that you have a place and a purpose. You just have to find it.

2. "The Little Mermaid"

To be honest, the main thing that stood out to me from this movie was that I wanted red hair. Like, a lot. And it took me eighteen years, but I finally got it. Insert picture here.

But, alas, this post is not about the many hair colors I have experimented with in my life. (Hint: there is a large amount of them.) So moving on, Ariel taught me to use my voice. She taught me that love isn't always simple and happily ever afters aren't always the easiest to obtain. She taught me what it meant to be a free spirit and how to speak up when something mattered to me. She taught me that sometimes the world is against you, but you should never give up. When you find something that makes your heart race, you fight for it. And that's what Ariel did. She fell in love and even though the rest of the world was against her, she held her ground and fought for what she knew was right. She didn't care that they were from two different worlds. She never judged Eric for what he did differently or what she didn't comprehend. She just tried to understand to the best of her ability.

3. "Cinderella"

Cinderella wasn't rich or popular or even known at all. She was just a girl who got dragged into a terrible situation. She didn't ask for two horrid stepsisters or a full-time job as a maid. She just wanted her father to be happy. Cinderella taught me that even in the face of adversity and cruelty, you should always wear a smile and never give up on your dreams. She taught me to "have courage and be kind for where there is kindness there is goodness and where this is goodness there is magic."

We don't have to tear others down in order to achieve our own happiness. The world is already hard enough without us trying to be better than everyone else. Linda K. Burton said in her General Conference talk, "When we seek to complete rather than compete, it is so much easier to cheer each other on!" We should spend our lives encouraging each other, as opposed to trying to sabotage one another. There is a quote I read on Tumblr that says, "The world is full of kind people. If you can't find one, be one." Cinderella was never rude or cruel to those who tried to hurt her. She simply lived her life with a dream in her heart and made it come true. She taught me that extraordinary things can happen to ordinary people. You just have to be prepared for them.

4. "Alice in Wonderland"

Last, but not least, is a movie that speaks to me on a very personal level. I think all of us can relate to Alice in the sense that we've all felt out of place at one time or another. We've all had those days where everything just seems to be spinning while we're stuck standing still. In my own experiences, I understand what it's like to lose control and not know what to do because everything just seems so... wrong. Alice taught me about curiosity-- that it's a good thing in some cases but can also get you into a lot of trouble. She taught me that "we're all mad here" and everyone feels a little crazy sometimes. We're all human and we make mistakes. Sometimes things just don't make sense and no matter how many times we try to put the pieces together, we just can't finish the puzzle. And that's okay. Things work out in the end, even if the beginning is a little scary.

These are only a few of the movies that helped influence my life and my own personal philosophies. So live life curiously and beautifully. Fill your heart with dreams until it feels like it's about to burst, and never forget to smile. Just keep swimming, even when it seems like you're swimming against the current. Be yourself, even if that's a little odd, and stay true to who you are and who you want to become. Remember the past, but don't live in it; the future is in your hands. Hakuna Matata, it means no worries. All it takes is faith and trust and pixie dust. Imagination is your biggest strength and creativity is your biggest tool.

Live long and live Disney.