It's A Small World After All - Navigating Ourselves in This New Life Through the Wisdom and Songs of Disney

By Jackie White

We are on the crest of life changing right in front of our very eyes. We need to learn to live in this place and what better way to imagine what it’s going to be like than turning to the pinnacle of imagination and that is our friends at Disney. Let’s take a look at how we can begin to cope with all the change in the world today through wise and wonderful songs of Disney.

So, to begin, we start with Aladdin and realize this is A Whole New World, that we live in. We might not have a magic carpet to fly on but we can look at the world in a positive way and see the new fantastic point of view! It’s a dazzling place we never knew. We are in A Whole New World.

We might feel some resistance to this new place and want to go back to the way things used to be, but we just have to Let it Go. Let it Go! Can’t hold it back anymore...Seriously, we have to really lean into this one because we can’t change anything that has happened. We have to tell ourselves that “the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all”.  We have to march forward and just Let it Go! The past is in the past! We will rise like the break of dawn! Come on guys, we can do this!

​Can you feel the crescendo? What is a crescendo? No worries! Ah, yes, and that reminds me, let’s have an attitude of managing our worries positively. You know, like Hakuna Matata, means no worries! It’s problem-free philosophy!  So you say, maybe that’s taking it too far? Ok, let’s bring it back to simplifying the situation a bit. 

When we begin to go out into the world we might only want to Look for the Bare Necessities
The simple bare necessities. You will want to forget about your worries and your strife. That’s ok, just go for the Bare Necessities! There, that’s a good balance.

Ultimately, we will be going back to work and this, too, may cause some anticipation. If you are feeling a little anxious, you can always Whistle While you Work. But remember what Mary Poppins said
 "In every job that must be done, There is an element of fun, You find the fun and snap! The job's a game and every task you undertake, becomes a piece of cake A lark! A spree! It's very clear to see that A Spoonful of Sugar helps the medicine go down and in a most delightful way!"  So, we aren’t advocating you become addicted to sugar here, just a hint to look for the good in everything, even in your work. It will be soon enough as the day ends and we skip our way out the door singing Heigh Ho Heigh Ho it's home from work we go!

I think one thing we all look forward to is seeing our friends again. How are we going to handle that? Listen, I realize this isn’t a tale as old as time, but it is true as it can be. You might not have barely seen your friends, but then somebody bends...unexpectedly. Just a little change, small to say the least, both a little scared and neither one prepared. It’s like the Beauty and the Beast. Ok, maybe it’s really not like Beauty and the Beast, but it is a little scary, and no one is really prepared on how to handle social interactions anymore. I can tell you one thing is for sure, we will all figure it out. 

So what can we do in the meantime? You could look up in the evening sky to find a twinkling star. It might help because When You Wish Upon a Star it makes no difference who you are, Anything your heart desires will come to you. Maybe if we all do that , we will realize it’s A Small World after all. It’s that it’s a world of laughter,  a world of tears, it’s a world of hopes and a world of fears. But there's so much that we share, that it's time we're aware that it's a Small World after all. This pandemic has made us all very well aware of this, hasn’t it? It truly is a Small World after all.
​
Listen, I had to put that one in here. Am I the only person who still enjoys that ride at Disney? I love those dolls from all the countries...ah, I digress.

So, in truth, this ride we have been on exemplifies The Circle of Life. It's the wheel of fortune, and it's the leap of faith, It's the band of hope 'til we find our place. Know that the path is unwinding and together even through uncertainty, we will find our place...and you know what? That is ok.

There is a lot of wisdom to be had from the wonderful world of Disney. Let’s all move forward with a song in our heart and make wherever you are the Happiest Place on Earth.

Shine On!