Tag: emotions

Inside Out 2 turns us Outside In

I recently got to watch Inside Out 2, the sequel to Pixar’s 2015 major ‘emotion’ picture (a tag line that the marketing team should get a raise for) which took the world by storm. I must say, this story moved me in ways beyond words. In this article I would be spoiling some details

Pixar: House of Feelings

Pixar has always excelled at making compelling stories out of the most unexpected characters, giving them arcs that are relatable to us in diverse ways. With each story and character arc, Pixar has succeeded in connecting with the hearts of viewers of all ages. With Inside Out, they took it up a notch. After giving toys feelings (Toy Story), giving vehicles feelings (Cars), giving rats feelings (Ratatouille), giving fishes feelings (Finding Nemo) and even giving monsters feelings (Monsters Inc.), Pixar actually gave feelings feelings! Inside Out is the story of a young girl names Riley Anderson, and of how her feelings played a role in the transitions of her growth through a life changing experience. With characters such as Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger residing within her mind, Inside Out took us through the rollercoaster of emotions she went through and taught a valid lesson for all: sadness is an important indicator that we need support, and it should not be shut down.

With Inside Out 2, Riley is becoming a teenager, and her feelings are about to get even weirder. Growing up to be a kind and exceptional young lady, her sense of self has been based on her core goodness, which is echoed in her words, “I am a good person.” But with puberty, new emotions develop that challenge her sense of self. Anxiety, Envy, Embarrassment and Ennui (with little cameos by Nostalgia) take up Riley’s headspace, as she tries to become like others she admires. The original five emotions (Joy and the gang) are literally bottled up and are set on an adventure to recover the Riley they know and love.

What got to Me

At the climax of the movie, Anxiety has made a mess of Riley’s life. At this stage Riley has lost her sense of self and her primary motivation is to get other people to like her. I could identify with this so much because, even beyond my teenage years, the desire to be affirmed and accepted has been a primary motivator for me and many of us for a long time. With Anxiety at her wits end, Riley realizes that, truly, she is not good enough. This pushes her into a panic attack.

When we realize that our attempts to align with the world’s perspectives and opinions will never truly succeed, if our goal has been to meet their standards, we would feel less than you ought to be. Many young people have found themselves here.

But this is where the emotions surprised me. Anxiety finally admits to Joy, “We don’t get to decide who Riley is.” And Joy realizes it too. All this time she had been trying to return Riley to her usual self by discarding any bad or painful memories, but now she allows Riley to learn from her mistakes those memories. Riley then gains something that is a valuable factor for everyone’s growth: self-awareness. Yes, she hasn’t been a good friend. Yes, she has messed up. Yes, she is not good enough. Yes, she wants to be at her best, but never measures up. But in that moment, Joy hugs her (it’s hard to describe this if you have not seen the movie), and the other emotions join in.

Awareness of our strengths and weaknesses primes us to be in the best position to receive the help we need and, best of all, to show grace to ourselves.

The makers of this movie did a really good job of illustrating the value of self-awareness in our growth, whether we be adolescents or adults.

My first key takeaway was that our emotions are only ‘indicators’ of how we feel. They should not be ‘directors’ of our actions, or determinants of our identities. Our feelings are not permanent. Know what is true and stick to it, no matter how your feelings go.

Also, awareness of our strengths and weaknesses primes us to be in the best position to receive the help we need and, best of all, to show grace to ourselves. The earlier we learn this, the better we would be. This is underlined at the end when Riley is asked if she made it into a team (something she had always desired), but while she wants to be on the team she is more open to the possibility of trying again if she fails. This time, she sees herself as more than her achievements or failures, and she can master them for her growth.

One of the biggest contradictions many believers face is reconciling our acclaimed righteousness with the failures and weaknesses we find in ourselves occasionally. Sometimes it feels hard to acknowledge them, and sometimes we may even feel they disqualify us before God and the people in our lives. But our weaknesses are reminders that we need the Savior, and He is always ready to help us.

Our worth is not in other’s perception of ourselves, but in our Creator’s. He sees us at our best and at our worst, and He loves us still.

And so also should we.

You are not your failures or your successes. You are you. It is the true you that can grow.

Thank you for reading. Have you ever experienced an event that made you more self aware? Please share with us. It might encourage someone.

The Step Down

For one president, the way up may be to step down.

The Mind Council Chamber sat at the lowest floor of the Presidential Villa, several stories below ground, inaccessible to all except the Federal Executive Council. We only held meetings there when very important decisions were to be made.

I was the first to be seated along with my Guest, as the Federal Commissioners walked in one by one. In their flowing regalia they all trooped in, each bearing one responsibility or the other. I smirked as I thought of the many arguments we had had over the past couple years, and how many times they had prevailed over my decisions with their many ideas birthed from their varied exposure and expertise. In many ways, I felt intimidated by them. There was an air of concern as they all took their seats, watching me eerily and casting glances at my Guest every occasionally.

When they were all seated, I stood.

“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,” I began, “Thank you for honouring my invitation for this impromptu meeting. There’s precious little that would make me call you urgently from your domiciles at this time of the night.”

I could see the Commissioner of Sight nodding vigorously. He always appreciated his sleep and never appreciated disturbance. He had been known to doze off at meetings every now and then.

I cleared my throat. “The path to where we are as a nation has been one of ups and downs. We’ve made many decisions on policies regarding the nation, and our surrounding neighbors, in this very room. We have debated ideas, had our arguments, celebrated the victories of some of our decisions and also shared in the blame for some of the losses too.”

The Commissioner of Thought grunted. “That’s what you think,” she said. “I never lose.”

That elicited chuckles across the room.

I took a deep breath as I got to the core. “I take responsibility for every failure,” I said. “I have tried, God knows I’ve tried. I’ve tried out new paradigms and systems to satisfy our urges and needs, but while many of them persisted for a while, none has fully served their purpose. We have sought consultations from experts, held numerous training-and-upgrade seminars, and … yet, I can’t help but think that this country … this council is not serving its rightful purpose. I fear that we’re on a road to doom.”

“Isn’t it obvious?” the Commissioner of Emotions interjected. “We always come with ideas from what we’ve seen and heard and felt, but you’re always the one second-guessing us.” There were murmurs in the affirmative all around. “Yes, because if anything, you’ve been our weakest link. You’re supposed to be President, but you never have the right ideas. With all due respect, you suck, Mr President!”

“I’m telling you!” the Commissioner of Speech added. “If it weren’t for our ideas, you could never make a good decision.”

“Yet some ideas are better than others,” the Commissioner of Action said.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I’m just saying. Actions speak better than words.”

And that is how the arguments began again, each trying to overshadow the other. But the Commissioner of Thought, ever the introspective one, had been watching me silently. “Why have you called us here, Mr President? And, if I may ask, who is your Friend?”

She was the first to acknowledge my Guest, even though I am sure most of them must have been wondering Who He was all along. I stared up at my colleagues. “We need new leadership. We need to realign to what the Creator made us for. I have … we have done a good job of messing things up. I think it’s time for a change. And that is why … I am stepping down as Commander-in-Chief of the Federal Republic of You.”

It was as though the air was sucked from the room in the silence that followed. They stared at me, waiting for the other foot to drop.

“While I remain as President, I am handing over authority over myself and this nation to this Man here,” I said, gesturing to my Guest. “His name is –“

“Jesus Christ?!” the Commissioner of Hearing interrupted. “I’ve heard a lot about this guy! You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“I’m sorry?”

“This Jesus turns people into weaklings!” the Commissioner continued. “I heard he turns people into mindless religious zombies. We don’t need this in our nation.”

“They say He stifles our free speech,” the Commissioner of Speech added, and he swore for good measure.

The arguments started rising once again, and I knew that getting them to calm down would be a herculean task. But Jesus placed a hand on my shoulder. “Let Me take it from here,” He said.

As He stood in the room, the arguments stilled as they sized up the new guest. I felt more confident with Him by my side.

“Before You were formed in your mother’s womb,” Jesus said. “I knew You. I made You for a purpose.”

“Excuse me,” the Commissioner of Thought interjected. “Are you claiming to have made this nation? How old are you? Who do you think you are?”

I did not see his face at the moment, but something about the way he stared at the Commissioner of Thought made her to recoil in silence.

“Sin and its corruption have made a mess of the order here,” he continued. “You, Federal Commissioners, have been compromised by the decadence of the age and are now imposing its pressures and suggestions on your president, at the expense of sound judgment. That something is lawful does not mean that it’s always right or hlpful

He turned to me. “Your president here has tried on his own to repair the damage, but he was never strong enough. He was never meant to debate with you about what is right and wrong. I am here to help him make the Federal Republic of You what God intended it to be. It would mean a renewal of this Mind Council, so that you all can know what you ought to do, and to do it too.”

For the first time in my life, I felt confident. There really was going to be hope for us. But my Commissioners did not share the same sentiments.

“So what?” the Commissioner of Thought said. “You’re going to be some kinda Dictator or something?”

Jesus folded his arms, standly regally. “I am a King, actually, and I am bringing my kingdom here. And in my kingdom it’s all about pleasing God, living at peace, and the joy that comes from God’s Spirit.”

“And are those supposed to mean something?”

He winked. “Trust me, you’re going to find out soon enough. I am going to help you think the right thoughts by teaching you in my Word.”

“And why should I listen to you?”

He gestured towards me. “Because your president has placed me in-charge here, and you are subject to the law he is subject to. Before, he found himself doing the things he did not want to do, and not doing things he knew he ought to do. You have known that conflict too, madam, haven’t you? But now I’m bringing him under a new law: the Law of the Spirit of Life in Me.”

She blinked, and when she spoke her words came out with less resistance. “It’s not been easy,” she said. “There’s so much information we get, and we have to act on it.”

“You never had to,” Jesus said. “But you weren’t strong enough to resist. I will help you. Madam, it may seem tough now but, believe me, everything I’m doing here is for your own good. There are boundless possibilities for the Commission of Thought that you’re not exploring because you’re limited to what you know. But I can help you get there.”

The Commissioner of Thought considered that for a moment, but at least she was silent now.

Jesus turned to the Commissioner of Speech. “And it would influence Speech too,” he said.

The Commissioner of Speech raised his hands. “Whoa, leave me out of this, mister. I’m fine the way I am.”

Jesus smirked. “Oh, that’s what you think. Your Speech will do so much more. You will bring healing to many, salvation to many more, encouragement to the broken and comfort to the mourning. I will train your tongue, to speak the right word in season to the weary. Can you imagine just what we can do when your words are life?”

He was genuinely amazed. “I never thought that could be possible. I thought you just wanted to, you know, keep me from saying whatever I want to. I may want to just catch cruise every once in a while, and I don’t need to be stuck up with a guilty conscience every single time.”

“But your words can get you in trouble,” Jesus said. “And can hurt others and yourself, much more than you know. I can help you refine your words.”

The Speech Commissioner grunted. “I uh … I guess I could do with a fixer-upper,” he said.

Jesus smiled as he turned to the Commissioners of Sight and Hearing.

“Oh no, no, no,” the Commissioner of Sight said. “You’re not coming here.”

“Yeah,” the Commissioner of Hearing said. “I don’t need your help.”

But Jesus wasn’t done. “You sure? Sight, some of the things you’re looking at are affecting Thought.”

The Commissioner of Thought nodded. “Exactly! The information we get comes from these guys.”

“Hey, you can decide what to think by yourself,” the Commissioner of Hearing retorted. “Don’t blame us for your lack of control.”

“But it’s true,” Jesus said. “Even for you, Hearing. The things you watch and listen to get into your thoughts one way or the other. You need to keep a watch over them.”

Sight folded his arms. “You just wanna suck the joy out of everything.”

Jesus chuckled. “All things are lawful for You, but not all things are expedient. All things are lawful for You, but you don’t have to become a slave to them*. If you absolutely can’t do without something, tell me, are you the master or the slave to it?”

They were clearly gearing up for a comeback, but they could not come up with anything in time. We all knew that we needed all the help we could get, and Jesus was the one to help us. It may not have felt nice, but it was worth it. It reminded me of the one time I heard that he had chased out some moneychangers from God’s Temple. This kinda felt like it too.

And one by one, Jesus kept on addressing each of the commissioners, analyzing their blueprints and the challenges they had faced, and explaining how He would make it new. I was so glad I brought Him onboard. I was learning as he taught us, gaining more confidence to guide each of these commissions with his wisdom and might. It would take a while to get into the new hanfg of things, but I knew I was now in good hands.

“It’s going to be a new day,” Jesus said. “The old is gone, the new has come.”

“Indeed,” I muttered under my breath, a smile on my face. “Amen.”

THE END