If you’ve got a daughter below the age of 8, or in fact any young female relation in your family, you’ll be well aware of the batshit crazy pandemonium that Disney’s Frozen has caused over the last couple of years. It’s bonkers.
As well as becoming the biggest grossing animation film of all time and the fifth highest ever grossing film having earned more than $1.2 Billion worldwide, it’s also famous for the annoyingly catchy song ‘Let it go’.
It was released as a single, charted all round the world and has had over 100 million YouTube hits. It also causes my 7 year old and her 4 year old cousin to burst into song at random points in the day for no particular reason, other than a desire to scream ‘Let it go’ and trying to freeze everything in their path.
My wife and I have gone through the mill with this one over the last couple of years, starting with enjoying watching the film as a family, getting mildly annoyed with watching the film for the fifth time, being caught up in the merchandise gravy trail (you can literally buy ANYTHING with Frozen on it, so maybe we are lucky to just have Dolls, bedspreads, pyjamas, tissues, drinking cups, posters, dresses, colouring books, colouring pens and sticker books), and having to listen to that flipping soundtrack on repeat on car journeys. For about 18 months it became the theme tune of our lives, and even drove us to the point of walking to the local shops so that we wouldn’t have to get into the car.
But whilst BBC radio 1 now gets a regular slot in the car again these days, if I never hear that flipping song again I’d be sorry. Let me explain.
The premise of the song is that of a troubled young woman who has to hide her true powers and feelings from those around her, through fear of rejection and being made an outcast from her community. Only when her secret abilities get accidentally revealed does she finally feel able to be her true self and ‘Let it go’, rather than bottling it up inside any longer.
Back in the real world this song serves as a reminder that we all have strong feelings, emotions and maybe even a little magic within us, but that we shouldn’t hide this from the world, but rather embrace it and ‘Let it go’. Only then will we thrive.
Because unless you do, your true self is not being exposed and you could be acting in a subdued and withdrawn way. You would not be acting with integrity, or willing to fulfil your potential.
There’s another slant to this one too. That of all the general frustration and disappointment that we carry around with us in our day to day lives. The stresses and strains of our work places. The control we want to have of every aspect of our lives. The unrealistic expectations we put on other people around us. But the reality is different. The truth is simple:
You can’t control the weather. Some days the sun shines and everything feels right with the world. On others it chucks it down when you weren’t expecting or prepared for it. There isn’t a damn thing you can do about it, apart from embrace whatever the day brings, and try to make the best of it.
Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
You can’t predict the future. Life takes some mysterious twists and turns along the way, some tragic, some joyous, but you can never be sure of exactly what’s around the corner.
You can’t control other people. Just as you do not want to be controlled by others, others do not want to be controlled by you. They are their own people, with their own lives and their own hopes and dreams. Be mindful and respectful of that and your relationships will be deeper and more meaningful.
So the next time you hear that song on the radio, or see some Disney Frozen memorabilia in a shop window do exactly that. Take a moment to notice any stress, expectations, controlling urges, or anything you are bottling up inside and then sing from the top of your lungs ‘LET IT GO’.
NB – If you are in a very public place, you may prefer to take a big deep breath in and out and simply allow yourself a smile, and wait until you are back in the car or at home to truly bellow Let it go. But do try it – it’s strangely liberating. Oh, and your daughters and nieces will suddenly have a new found respect for you and start calling you Hans…