Imagine taking a stroll down a beautiful green forest with wonderfully scented flowers, creatures of different types making their calls to each other, a calm stream of water to your right and on your left is a blank wooden sign pointing to nowhere. You see the path, but it is one you have never been through. Some of us may experience some nervousness or anxiousness about the new path. Where will it take us? Will we get lost? Can we find our way back to normalcy? You may feel nervous about the uncertainty, however, you can feel confident in your ability to make the best decision necessary. Some of us learn from the journey and others want to get through it as quickly as possible. Are we stopping to smell the roses or doing everything in our power to get over the struggle?
If you are like me, you cried watching Frozen and were unnecessarily excited to hear that Frozen II was available for streaming NOW! After watching it for the third time, I found that I gravitated to the same character, but now, more than ever. During times of change and uncertainty or when our lives are interrupted, we are faced with two choices: to respond or react. We are faced with making quick decisions that set the tone for our day, week, or life. And I quickly realized why I can relate to Olaf on many levels. Here are a few of my favorite Olaf-isms that could be applied today.
“Change mocks us with her beauty”
That is probably one of the most important things we may be having a hard time seeing during times of uncertainty. Maybe it is hard to see the beauty when all we see is the chaos and talk of the ‘end of times’. Even in the difficult times, the change brings beauty: we just need to shift our focus to find it and see it. The uncertainty can show us how we are responding or reacting to outside forces. Of course, we all react to change because the prior was familiar, comfortable, or maybe it leads us to be stagnant. Change is good, but can make us feel not-so-good during the process. Change tells us that things are not supposed to stay the same…there are other paths. What have you noticed outside of you/your circle that you may not have noticed before? How is the change changing you? Does the change bring out your best or your nightmares? The beauty is there. We just have to give it a chance by recognizing it.
“Controlling what you can when things feel out of control”
Olaf was ahead of his time! This sentence gave me this incredible sense of feeling grounded and stable, while I saw the waves crashing and the winds turning the storm. At this moment, we probably want to do everything in our power to grab the life jacket (I mean, I would because I can’t swim!). Try to head for safety. Look for an escape route. Or we could feel the water sprinkle our faces. The wind causing the hair on our necks to tickle our necks. Smell the sweetness of the rain and the freshness of the air. Do you find yourself bracing for impact or embracing the impact the journey could have on you? When shift our mentality to what we can control during life’s interruptions, there is this calmness or peace that we may not be able to comprehend that overtakes us and allows us to focus on what is more important.
“Let me introduce you to the wind”
Olaf and the others find themselves in a literal whirlwind which elicits undesirable emotions in some. But leave it to Olaf to introduce the wind to everyone. Yes, he gave the temporary chaos a name. He offered to help a friend during the craziness. How do we welcome life’s interruptions during times of uncertainty? We are all going through the same storm, we are just in different boats. Even if we are fearful of tomorrow, we cannot control it. What we can control is in front of us today. The only way to get through anything is to go through it. So, into the unknown we go…we will get through it, together.
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