Ideas in Antiquity Week 10
Firstly, can we get a cheers for week 10. School is stressful as ever but to know that I’m close to the finish line is quite relieving (even though I’m definitely gonna miss this course). The number 10 has always been such a completing number for me, plus it’s my birth day. July 10th was the day a fairly special and amazing person was born, ME. My birth story is one that is super wild but just shows who I am as a person and how I enter places, with a big bang!
Forgetting about me, let’s get into this week’s work. This week, we’re focusing on one of my favorite Disney movies, Moana. There’s no other word to describe it besides amazing. There’s almost (I’ve heard some sketchy things) perfect representation and the storyline/plot is great. It teaches vital life lessons for all ages as I am watching it for what seems like the 10th time and still learning new things. So let me tell you what I peeped regarding leadership development.
Let’s start from the very beginning. The opening scene begins with the reason for the main problem in the story, the loss of Te Fiti’s heart. Maui, the Demi-God responsible for this life-altering act serves as a symbol of Greed and someone in desparate need of guidance. His greed for the gift of life drove him to ruin other lives. His selfishness and extreme need for attention drove him to change history like the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett did for this current moment of time. Speaking about that, I am in utter shock and true disappointment. As someone whose idol was the Notorious RBG, I am someone who truly stands for the rights of all people, especially women.
After all, she changed history. But the way she did it is no where near the way Amy plans on doing it. One was all about true equality and morals for all while the other truly is another one of Trump’s lapdog. I hope this sad moment in history truly teaches my generation something. In order to get the world we want and honestly need, we need to vote and take over the positions in the House, Senate, and our local governments that brutally affect every part of our life. Instead of complaining about it, we need to get busy and save ourselves. We are the future and until all of us are on the same page, history is gonna get sadder and sadder for us. Like Maui, there’s potential but we must accept the good guidance and take charge like Moana did.
That girl was born a leader, literally and figuratively. As the daughter of the Chief, she was born as a catalyst of change. Although she was confined to her village, it took her stepping up and following her heart in order to rewrite and create history. This started with her mentor, her Gramma Tala. Through kenos, her grandmother awoke something deep inside Moana that inspired her to want to go out into the unknown world. This scene had so much power. Mentorship is a vital part of success and true leadership. Without guidance, there would be no good young leaders. Though the timing may be different, I’ve found that certain advice can be helpful and be passed through various generations. An example of this is one thing my mother always told me, “don’t take NO shit, from NO one.”
There are plenty of people who are and aren’t meant to be in certain parts of your life. Known to me as blessing and lessons, I’ve learned the differences between people. No matter who they are meant to be in your life, it’s important to ensure your boundaries. Without these, people get hurt as things are quickly taken too far. True leaders understand the need for healthy relationships as that is what can help level them up. Having healthy contacts in high places is vital in various fields, hell every field. Yet sometimes, power means nothing.
This leads me into another vital part of the movie that developed Moana as a true leader, the argument with her father. As Chief, her father had an “I’m always right” kind of attitude. Moana was determined to go out into the world and explore the sea but her father, as a natural parent who had experience with the sea too, was completely against it. This scene reminded me of my Senior year of high school when I got into an argument with my father/family as well. I was applying to schools all over the nation but everyone wanted me to stay in my home state and help support the family. Like Moana, we both were stubborn girls with a dream that no one could shake. Regardless of what anyone said to me, I was not going to listen and be held back from my dream and the multiple opportunities that came with it.
The problem that I feel most leaders have is clouded judgement. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our dreams/hopes for the future that we completely disgard the true reality. The world can get very dark and very ugly, very fast. Moana definitely struggled with this. Her dream of exploring the seas distracted her from the reason why her father forbade it. The seas were very dangerous for her ancestors. Unlike Moana, they didn’t have the luxury of being connected and therefore protected by the water. All they had was their skillset and the hope that they would return home safe. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for Chief Tui. He snuck behind everyone’s back ,went beyond their reef of safety, and paid the price. He dove into the sea to try to save his best friend during a harsh storm but it was too late. This traumatic experience changed him and shaped his parenting style.
Like my father, trauma caused them to becoming overprotective parents. They do absolutely anything to protect their children but you can’t fight fate/destiny. As they struggle with this dynamic, they often end up making things worse and causing to children to drift away from them. Moana and I have the same type of parents. Knowing this, the two of us went against their wishes and followed our dreams. And I know we’re both grateful that we did.
I feel that the two of us owe our success to our mentors. I found that my inner leader was brought out, just like Moana, by someone who saw our true potential deep down inside of us when everyone else around us didn’t. I was lucky to have a few people like this, specifically my teachers. If it wasn’t for them pushing me forward when I was ready to give up, I promise I would not be the same person I am today. I was one of three students in my entire graduating class who left my home state for school. Today, I am now the only one who is still there. Saying this brings a huge smile to my face because I know how hard the path to get here was, is, and will probably always be. But that doesn’t mean I’m giving up.
I aspire to be a mentor like Moana was to Maui. I once was the Maui of this dynamic as I was someone who was very competitive and didn’t care what it took/who I hurt to get to the top. It took someone humbling me and a slight bit of failure for me to snap out of that life and become a better person overall. Mentoring saved me and now that I am a mentor, it feels great. Mentoring helped sparked my passions and continues to teach me new things that I can pass to my mentees. One of which being another scene in the movie where the debate of “Where you are vs. Who you are” appears.
I found this scene to be quite interesting each time I rewatched it. Identity is something that defines everyone, especially leaders. The idea of “home” is one that is debated in many households and in many lives. A bed to lay in and a roof over your head means nothing as there are times where you’re in the wrong spot. Whether it be physically, emotionally, or even mentally, home is the place where you can unapologetically be yourself and be able to fully express what you consider your identity to be. I still haven’t found mine but like Moana, I am hopeful that my journey will take me there.
This scene showed some harsh realities. There are times where what you’re familiar with and other people’s perceptions of your own identity can actually be damaging. Moana felt this during this scene as her people saw her as their next leader. Although she was, she was not ready for this as she was having an identity crisis. I related to this part of the movie the most. Growing up in church, I never felt quite right. I knew that it was morally right to be there as the fear of heaven and hell was drilled into me since my first church service. But like Moana, I always felt like I was faking it. It took several traumatic experiences and me standing up for myself to realize what was happening and leaving my toxic environment.
Opinions are truly the worst. I grew up pleasing others so much that I was destroying myself and my happiness. Leaving home was the best decision I ever made (Thanks Ms. Rona for ruining it) as it gave me a breath of fresh air and a new start. My fellow leaders understand this a little too well. All of us had and will continue to have moments where we must jump into the unknown (my little cousin has Frozen stuck in my head) to make ourselves better and happier. It takes time and practice but that leap of faith is always worth it in the end.
I used mine to chase my dream and Moana used hers to save her people. In the end, we all want what’s best for others. Moana is truly an inspiration for people everywhere so now that I know the potential of Disney movies, I’m gonna get my little cousin and binge watch some. You should do it too, I know we all need to take a break.
With that being said, what’s next??
