Disney Mental Health Series: “Wish” and Empowerment
“The stars are there to guide us, to inspire us, to remind us to believe in possibility.”
-Asha
Disney’s newest movie Wish is a celebration of 100 years of Disney animation. The story follows the main character Asha on her journey of discovering the power of wishes. In a town where its citizens are willingly giving over their wishes to King Magnifico in hopes he will fulfill them, Asha recognizes the pain inflicted upon those who give up their wishes and strives to return them all to their wisher. We see the those who have given up their wishes and are waiting for Magnifico to fulfill them illustrating existentialist Rollo May’s assertion, “Depression is the inability to construct a future.” Filled with references to earlier Disney films, this movie explores themes of empowerment and where it truly comes from. Let’s dive into 5 ways in which Wish helps us better understand how we can be more empowered in our own lives.
Locus of control
Identifying where our locus of control resides is an important step in becoming more empowered in our lives. People with an external locus of control believe the outcomes in their life are determined by forces outside their control, usually other people or circumstances, while people with an internal locus of control believe the outcomes are determine by their own actions, abilities, and decisions.
Asha’s major character shift from the beginning to the end of the movie involves her development of an internal locus of control. She discovers she has more agency and potential “to have something more than this,” and reclaims the power she previously associated with Magnifico.
Recognizing interconnectedness
Interconnectedness is perhaps best explained by a different Disney movie’s lyrics, “That we are all connected to each other in a circle, in a hoop that never ends.” When we cultivate loving relationships with ourselves, others, and even nature, we tend to feel a greater sense of purpose, empowerment, and calm.
Wish explores the theme of interconnectedness in several ways. Asha’s shift from ignorance to knowledge is in discovering she and the stars are one and the same. The woodland animals share this with her as she recognizes that we are all indeed stars and are all inherently one. The theme of interconnectedness is also illustrated through the frequent references to other beloved Disney movies, celebrating the connectedness and shared magic of their animated tales.
Cultivating relationships
Having a supportive community of loved ones around us helps us go after goals and have the courage to pursue dreams we might have otherwise backed away from. When we have people we can count on and reciprocate their loyalty and reliability, more becomes possible.
One of the primary differences between Asha and Magnifico’s strategies to accomplish their goal is the importance they place on relationships. Magnifico isolates himself from his wife and only uses another person when under his spell, believing he possesses the power to succeed by himself and disregarding others. Asha, on the other hand, immediately assembles a team of friends and loved ones around her to help. She speaks out about what she has discovered and welcomes others to join her in her fight and lift her up when she needs it most.
Power versus empowerment
Power is the ability to control our external world, while empowerment involves our recognition of our potential when we let go of controlling our external world. In cultivating empowerment, we find acceptance in what we cannot control and focus on what we can with compassion and wisdom.
Magnifico seeks power, while Asha seeks empowerment. Magnifico is an example of a villain who desires ultimate control of everything and everyone. Asha, rather, accomplishes her goal only when others recognize their own empowerment and reclaim agency in their lives. She recognizes her potential for happiness can only be truly realized when others experience similar liberation.
Following values over rules
Leading a values-aligned life is crucial to discovering personal empowerment. The difference between values and rules are that values are individually-based qualities we find to be important in life while rules are external designations of right and wrong that are taught to us by others. Rules are often followed out of fear, while values are pursued out of love.
Asha chooses to question and break the rules in order to pursue her higher values, while Magnifico succumbs to the rules of dark magic. Asha’s values guide her when she experiences obstacles or challenges on her mission and is unsure of her next move. In a sense, her values serve as her compass. Magnifico’s strict adherence to the rules is ultimately his downfall, quite literally trapping him in the small space where only his rules apply.
Asha is an emblem of empowerment and teaches us the magic that we can experience when we trust our own intuition and connect lovingly with others. This celebration of 100 years of Disney animation utilizes the themes depicted throughout Disney history to show us the empowerment we can gain from acknowledging and celebrating our interconnectedness and daring to Wish.