Change is Natural! (Part 1)

Carmen Moshier ~ Child of the Universe

Disney’s Ratatouille has many insightful scenes and inspiring messages.

This scene speaks to two different perspectives in how to respond to life’s inequities. Do we just accept the Law of the Jungle and that the strongest prey on the weak to get stronger message?

Or do we move forward by looking deeper than the surface?

Carmen Moshier ~ Children Of The World

Can you spot the interplaying tensions involved?

Can we look within ourselves and find acknowledgement, acceptance, forgiveness, and love through grace, as shown, here, here, here, and here?

In this father-and-son conversation:

Dad says: “Take a good long look Remy, this is what happens when we get a little too comfortable around others. The world we live in belongs to the enemy. We must live carefully. We look out for our own kind. When all is said and done, we’re all we’ve got.”

Remy says: “No.”

Dad: “What?”

Remy: “No. Dad. I don’t believe it. You’re telling me that the future is … Can only be more of this?”

Dad: “This is the way things are. You can’t change nature.”

Remy: “Change is nature. Dad. The part that we can influence. And it starts when we decide.”

Dad didn’t just choose to see things so darkly. Perhaps, when he was his son’s age, he believed as his son does in this scene. It’s natural when oneself, family and friends encounter destroying experiences time after time, seeing our family and friends exterminated, are more than enough to convince and direct conclusions like shown the clip.

Do you see what I’m saying?

Fortunately for me, my own experiences, as described here are of always having my family’s support; God having my back as covered here, here, here, here, and here; and driven by my childhood vow here.

Humanity’s history reflects the same story, as covered here and here. Both are filled with situations where the individual overcame their painful experiences tempting to embrace Dad’s way of thinking.

I’ve found resisting temptation’s urge for revenge, to strike back, imagine the worst in others reflects on what I dislike about or are uncomfortable with about myself. Regrettably, I frequently didn’t realize this until after I had struck back.

Once I did start noticing this, I chose to delay my reactions. This delaying was an essential step in creating a mental pattern to respond versus react. Creating this new habit was a major shift in relationships for me. Suddenly, I wasn’t frequently looking back at what had happened, feeling sorry for hurting Pam’s or another loved one’s feelings over what I had imagined or visualized.

My experiences of where I resisted striking back and instead found the grace to acknowledge and accept perhaps it wasn’t as it seemed. Was it possible I was mistaken? Just because I thought I knew what the other intended didn’t mean they did. I remembered previous experiences where I discovered too late that I had not understood.

I found the wisdom in responding, making my choice versus just flowing with my knee-jerk reaction. Remember, knee-jerk reactions are almost always negative, like a Dr. hitting our knee with a rubber hammer (if for no other reason than we resent being interrupted or disrupted in what we’re doing).

Carmen Moshier ~ Choose

What do you think?

Until Next Time
Joe