That "Be Yourself" Cliche
If you were to watch enough Disney & Pixar movies, odds are you would notice a few tendencies among the protagonists: one, they would feel like a misfit. Two, they would long for something more - and sometimes sing a musical number about it. And three, they would pretend to be someone else. Aladdin pretended to be Prince Ali so he could be with Princess Jasmine. Mulan pretended to be a man so she could take her father's place in the military and prove to herself that she could mount to something. Ariel pretended to be a human for a few days so that she could be with Prince Eric. Flik pretended that he found warriors for the ant colony even after they admitted they were circus bugs. Remy pretended to be part-rat and part-human so that he could live two different lives (more on Paris' finest chef later). All of this is to say, a lot Disney & Pixar films feature a protagonist wanting something more - and some of them would pretend to be someone or something else to attain what they wanted.
The reason why these protagonists wanted something more differed, though the overall goal was improving their situation. However, that does beg one question: why do so many of them seek pretending as a means of getting what they want? Why do they feel the need to pretend or the need to prove themselves? Because of their identity and the way that they are perceived by others. They feel the need to pretend because on their own, there's something "wrong" with them or something that's holding them back. They felt that couldn't attain what they wanted by being themselves, so they resorted to being someone else. And that was the problem. In every instance, the truth came out about each of the protagonists and led to consequences. Now, being Disney & Pixar films, amends were made and there was a happy ending each time. Still, they all could have saved themselves some trouble if they hadn't been caught up in pretending. What's more, they weren't only pretending - they were lying. And at the heart of that it all, they were lying to themselves.
Right about now, the cliche "just be yourself" comes to mind. That said, if being yourself were so simple, no one would ever feel the need to pretend or lie about who they truly are. A case could be made that social media has exacerbated this pressure to pretend to be someone else or pretend to be as cool as everyone else. Even before social media, there's always been a pressure to be somebody. And our own insecurities and weaknesses make us feel as though we can't be somebody on our own. It's as if they are holding us back. Therefore, we have to pretend to be somebody. And that's one of the biggest lies that we can tell ourselves.
In what comes as a shock to no one that knows me, I have my quirks. Quirks like going to the grocery store at 8 AM on Saturday mornings to beat the crowds, documenting obscure Oreo flavors, delivering puns and dad jokes, quoting/referencing movies & TV shows a lot, traveling to unique destinations like Idaho and Kansas, and watching children's shows. With that, I have often struggled with feeling like something is holding me back in my life (in an all-encompassing sense), that there's just something "wrong" or "off" about me that's keeping me down. Naturally, this leads to questions like "why am I not good enough" or "what's holding me back". For the longest time, I've pointed to...my quirks. To copy famous detective Adrian Monk, I've viewed my quirks as "a gift and a curse".
Growing up, when others started watching reality TV shows or shows aimed at adults, I was still watching shows like Spongebob Squarepants and Arthur. And while I have gone through (and enjoyed) shows like The Office or Friends, I'd be lying to myself if I said I still don't enjoy shows like Arthur. And to me, that's one of my quirks (along with my general puns and humor) that I've always pinpointed as what's holding me back. It's led to a sense of embarrassment when I've told people that I occasionally watch Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends or listen to episode commentaries. Can people really look up to some guy that loves flannel shirts, quoting Spongebob Squarepants, makes off-the-wall puns and sometimes watches stories about a tank engine? My internal answer has been...maybe, but probably not. But why? Why can't they? Because of a fictional sponge, aardvark, and tank engine? Or because of something else?
Last week, I had this eye-opening realization of what's truly holding me back - and what's not holding me back. Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Arthur, VeggieTales, Spongebob Squarepants and any other show aren't what's holding me back. I'm holding myself back - and I'm blaming it on those shows (and other quirks). My quirks aren't what's holding me back. I'm holding myself back. My inability to truly that I'm good enough through Jesus Christ and my inability to consistently stay true to myself has been what's holding me back. I have to stay true to myself and remember who I a - and whose I am. I am William Wheat Goodfellow and I am God's child. He is proud of me and the man that I've becoming with the gifts and talents that He has blessed me with. Just as Bob & Larry closed out every VeggieTales show with - God made me special and He loves me very much.
This year, I've come across some amazing opportunities, including opportunities to serve. And a huge takeaway from them has been that God has called me for such a time as this because of who I am, NOT in spite of who I am. I've been able to help others (and grow a long the way) through being myself, not someone else. We have to love the person that God has made us - and called us to be. I have my quirks, weaknesses, flaws, and insecurities. But at the end of the day, our weaknesses, flaws, and insecurities only hold as much power as we let them have. We have to let them go.
To close, I'm reminded by a pivotal scene in Ratatouille when Remy finds himself trapped in a cage in a car trunk. Remy laments to his imaginary friend that he's constantly pretending - pretending to be rat for his family, pretending to be a human for a chef, and pretending that his imaginary friend exists so that he has someone to talk to each day. Remy knew he was a rat and a chef. But at the same time, he felt like being a rat was holding him back as a chef and being a chef was holding him back as a rat. And when he asked his imaginary friend why he needs to pretend, the friend simply replied "you never did". Remy never had to pretend - and neither do we. When we pretend, everyone misses out on the gifts and talents that God has blessed us with - and we miss out on being the person that God has equipped and called us to be. It can be an uphill battle to stay true to ourselves, but it will take us a lot further than pretending ever will. It's a lot easier to stay true to yourself than it is to lie. We don't have to pretend - and we never did.
The reason why these protagonists wanted something more differed, though the overall goal was improving their situation. However, that does beg one question: why do so many of them seek pretending as a means of getting what they want? Why do they feel the need to pretend or the need to prove themselves? Because of their identity and the way that they are perceived by others. They feel the need to pretend because on their own, there's something "wrong" with them or something that's holding them back. They felt that couldn't attain what they wanted by being themselves, so they resorted to being someone else. And that was the problem. In every instance, the truth came out about each of the protagonists and led to consequences. Now, being Disney & Pixar films, amends were made and there was a happy ending each time. Still, they all could have saved themselves some trouble if they hadn't been caught up in pretending. What's more, they weren't only pretending - they were lying. And at the heart of that it all, they were lying to themselves.
Right about now, the cliche "just be yourself" comes to mind. That said, if being yourself were so simple, no one would ever feel the need to pretend or lie about who they truly are. A case could be made that social media has exacerbated this pressure to pretend to be someone else or pretend to be as cool as everyone else. Even before social media, there's always been a pressure to be somebody. And our own insecurities and weaknesses make us feel as though we can't be somebody on our own. It's as if they are holding us back. Therefore, we have to pretend to be somebody. And that's one of the biggest lies that we can tell ourselves.
In what comes as a shock to no one that knows me, I have my quirks. Quirks like going to the grocery store at 8 AM on Saturday mornings to beat the crowds, documenting obscure Oreo flavors, delivering puns and dad jokes, quoting/referencing movies & TV shows a lot, traveling to unique destinations like Idaho and Kansas, and watching children's shows. With that, I have often struggled with feeling like something is holding me back in my life (in an all-encompassing sense), that there's just something "wrong" or "off" about me that's keeping me down. Naturally, this leads to questions like "why am I not good enough" or "what's holding me back". For the longest time, I've pointed to...my quirks. To copy famous detective Adrian Monk, I've viewed my quirks as "a gift and a curse".
Growing up, when others started watching reality TV shows or shows aimed at adults, I was still watching shows like Spongebob Squarepants and Arthur. And while I have gone through (and enjoyed) shows like The Office or Friends, I'd be lying to myself if I said I still don't enjoy shows like Arthur. And to me, that's one of my quirks (along with my general puns and humor) that I've always pinpointed as what's holding me back. It's led to a sense of embarrassment when I've told people that I occasionally watch Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends or listen to episode commentaries. Can people really look up to some guy that loves flannel shirts, quoting Spongebob Squarepants, makes off-the-wall puns and sometimes watches stories about a tank engine? My internal answer has been...maybe, but probably not. But why? Why can't they? Because of a fictional sponge, aardvark, and tank engine? Or because of something else?
Last week, I had this eye-opening realization of what's truly holding me back - and what's not holding me back. Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, Arthur, VeggieTales, Spongebob Squarepants and any other show aren't what's holding me back. I'm holding myself back - and I'm blaming it on those shows (and other quirks). My quirks aren't what's holding me back. I'm holding myself back. My inability to truly that I'm good enough through Jesus Christ and my inability to consistently stay true to myself has been what's holding me back. I have to stay true to myself and remember who I a - and whose I am. I am William Wheat Goodfellow and I am God's child. He is proud of me and the man that I've becoming with the gifts and talents that He has blessed me with. Just as Bob & Larry closed out every VeggieTales show with - God made me special and He loves me very much.
This year, I've come across some amazing opportunities, including opportunities to serve. And a huge takeaway from them has been that God has called me for such a time as this because of who I am, NOT in spite of who I am. I've been able to help others (and grow a long the way) through being myself, not someone else. We have to love the person that God has made us - and called us to be. I have my quirks, weaknesses, flaws, and insecurities. But at the end of the day, our weaknesses, flaws, and insecurities only hold as much power as we let them have. We have to let them go.
To close, I'm reminded by a pivotal scene in Ratatouille when Remy finds himself trapped in a cage in a car trunk. Remy laments to his imaginary friend that he's constantly pretending - pretending to be rat for his family, pretending to be a human for a chef, and pretending that his imaginary friend exists so that he has someone to talk to each day. Remy knew he was a rat and a chef. But at the same time, he felt like being a rat was holding him back as a chef and being a chef was holding him back as a rat. And when he asked his imaginary friend why he needs to pretend, the friend simply replied "you never did". Remy never had to pretend - and neither do we. When we pretend, everyone misses out on the gifts and talents that God has blessed us with - and we miss out on being the person that God has equipped and called us to be. It can be an uphill battle to stay true to ourselves, but it will take us a lot further than pretending ever will. It's a lot easier to stay true to yourself than it is to lie. We don't have to pretend - and we never did.
Comments
Post a Comment