Yesterday after my wife and I tramped out in the middle of the desert all morning (we are preparing to go a commemoration pioneer trek with the youth of our church to help them better understand the principles of faith, commitment, perseverance, and ultimately a reliance on our Savior, Jesus Christ), we were exhausted. And if you haven't had the opportunity to meet our children, you really underestimate the amount of energy these two children have. Because we left all of our energy out next to two dying Sonoran catcus, we decided to take our kiddos to the movie Rise of the Guardians.
This isn't a movie review, though. This is just a few of the thoughts that I had as I watched it.
At one point in the movie, Santa was speaking to Jack Frost about finding his center.... finding his core. As I have worked with hundreds of clients, I have truly discovered just how crucial this task is. Often times clients are trying to "find themselves". I have wrestled with this terminology for a very long time, mostly because as eternal beings, coming up with a few sentences to describe ourselves just doesn't seem to do us justice, nor the God who created us.
However, when I think of the term "find our core", this I believe is realistic. It is finding our mission. Our purpose. Although we were sent to earth to learn and grow and return back to heaven, I also believe that we have a much deeper purpose. My wife's grandma was known for saying, "Leave it better than you found it." That rings in my ears as I consider my life here on earth. Am I leaving it better than I found it. For me, finding my core has truly helped me have the passion and energy to continue forward.
In the movie, the darkness is seeking to overtake the world by destroying the faith of children. Unfortunately, this is more fact than fiction. However, the darkness could only be over come (spoiler alert) by living true and resonating with one's core.
One of Pitch Black's tactics was the use of shame. "What will others think of you?".... "You failed". His strategy was to cause fear instead of faith. Again, the correlations to real life seem quite apparent. It is a tactic that I see played out daily. The fear to be real, the fear to stand up, the fear to say no. The lies are quite convincing. And as the lies are believed the world just gets darker.
But when Jack finally comprehends what his core is by exploring his past, (by the way... as a therapist, I loved that!), he was able to join with others who also knew their core and together fight the darkness. One of the most powerful lines of the movie was as Jack was speaking to Pitch, "I believe in you. I'm just not afraid of you anymore." It is when we truly comprehend our core that we have the courage to no longer be afraid.
There are many other messages that stood out to me from the film, but the last one I want to point out is the desire to be seen. (Another spoiler alert) Throughout the movie, Jack longs to be seen by the children, but they can't see him. It is that fact that Pitch uses to try to destroy Jack. In the end of the movie, however, the children are able to see Jack... and they love him.
The analogy for this one runs deeply for me. There is a desire in many people to be noticed and appreciated by others. It isn't an egotistical attitude or even a selfish one. I think it comes from that same place of doubt, fear, and shame that causes people to see themselves as less than they truly are. And so they look to others hoping for validation. "Am I a good enough husband, wife, father, mother, employee, etc." "Do you see me? Do you see the good in me?"
It is deeper than worrying what someone else thinks. It is the desire to be seen, and more importantly, loved. It is the antidote to shame.... Do you see me and do you love me? It is what makes connections possible. I see you and you see me and we both like/appreciate/love/accept what we see without judgment.
The feeling to be seen most commonly shows up when we are feeling lonely. We look out into the grandness of the world and wonder if anyone truly knows if we even exist. And then when we feel seen, when someone pays attention to us, or reaches out to connect with us, it is one of the most magical feelings on the planet.
For me, the movie taught some pretty deep lessons. Lessons that I hope my children will hold on to as they grow up:
1. They are someone special and have been sent here with a purpose.
2. Part of their journey on this planet is to discover their purpose and then fulfill it to their best ability.
3. They don't have to journey on this world alone.... there are others who will support and love them.
4. Beware of the lies from the darkness that will try to shut out understanding of the principles of faith, individual worth, and true identity.
5. When we are authentic, we also allow ourselves to be seen and loved by others.
6. It is our responsibility to love others as well.
And all of that from a kids movie.... Who would have thought?
