As anyone who truly knows me knows, I love Disney. From great, lovable characters to important life lessons hidden in the story line, what’s not to love? Most everybody has one Disney movie that truly spoke out to them as a child. Here’s one that’s more recent, but something I feel everyone should know. Big Hero 6 has so many important life lessons and things I feel are valid.

1 “It is okay to cry. Crying is a natural response to pain.” - Baymax

Something I feel many people my age believe is that you have to be strong, that showing emotion, sometimes over something as simple as a bad test score, is showing weakness. This is more geared towards males because they have to maintain a “macho” attitude. It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be upset, and cry and let it out. Just remember that you have to keep going.

2 “I’m not giving up on you. You don’t understand this yet, but people need you.” – Tadashi

Some days, it is so easy to want to give up. Life is hard, college is harder and I feel completely hopeless. It’s even easier to want to give up on yourself and withdrawal from the people who care. In times like these, you need to remind yourself that it is just a chapter in your life. You never know who relies on you or whose life you’ll effect. Just keep holding on. Don’t give up over one bad chapter when you have a whole book ahead of you.

3 “On a scale of one to ten how would you rate your pain?” - Baymax

I’m one of the biggest over reactors that I know, and I often have to remind myself of that. Like Baymax asks Hiro how bad his pain is, so do we. Is one missed class really worth losing a whole night of sleep? Now if you miss a week of classes, then you might panic but not every situation that comes up is a 10. And that’s okay. You don’t have to have a 10 for someone to understand you’re in pain, or that you may need some time to refocus and recharge. It’s normal. Just know your pain level, with anything, and don’t sweat the small stuff.

4 “I spilled wasabi on me, one time!” – Wasabi

As college students and young adults, we have an astonishing amount of freedom. But at the same time, we are at the age where what we do in our personal lives can become an issue in our business and academic lives. While I am an advocate for learning about the world, be careful, especially about what you post online. It may seem unfair, but what you do now will have lasting impact on what you do it the future.

Disney movies come with life lessons, and here are just a few of the ones I could find. Remember, you are your own worst enemy. Focus on the big things, ask for help when needed, and don’t sweat the small stuff. You’re gonna go far kid.

Love always,

Ash