Have you seen the movie Zootopia?

I watched this movie with my family. The kids loved it! My husband and I liked it, too. I liked the main message of the movie.

What is Zootopia about?

Zootopia is about a bunny who wanted to become a police officer. Her dream was perceived to be outrageous because no bunny has ever thought or become a police officer yet. But she was determined to pursue her dream against all odds. She experienced A LOT of difficulties. But she didn’t give up! She proved, through her perseverance, that it can be done. She did not only become a police officer, she also helped solve an important crime. (Ooops, spoiler for those who haven’t seen it yet!) She broke the stereotype! She broke the mold! She blazed her own path where no bunny has gone before.

I loved that the plot included obstacles that the bunny had to go through while pursuing her dream. Kids (and adults) need to be reminded that big dreams don’t happen easily. We need to be willing to really work hard to make them happen. It’s a reminder that if you really want something so bad, then you should be prepared to give it all you’ve got. You need to be ready to go through failure after failure and still not give up. Don’t let anything or anyone make you give up on your dream.

That’s why I loved the story!

Try Everything

This heartwarming and funny movie had a beautiful soundtrack also. It has a catchy, danceable tune. Most of all, it has a beautiful and inspiring message. Read the lyrics below.

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

I messed up tonight, I lost another fight
I still mess up but I’ll just start again
I keep falling down, I keep on hitting the ground
I always get up now to see what’s next

Birds don’t just fly, they fall down and get up
Nobody learns without getting it wrong

I won’t give up, no I won’t give in
‘Til I reach the end and then I’ll start again
No, I won’t leave, I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though I could fail
I won’t give up, no I won’t give in
‘Til I reach the end and then I’ll start again
No, I won’t leave, I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though I could fail

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Try everything
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Try everything
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Try everything
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Look how far you’ve come, you filled your heart with love
Baby, you’ve done enough, take a deep breath
Don’t beat yourself up, don’t need to run so fast
Sometimes we come last, but we did our best

I won’t give up, no I won’t give in
‘Til I reach the end and then I’ll start again
No, I won’t leave, I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though I could fail
I won’t give up, no I won’t give in
‘Til I reach the end and then I’ll start again
No, I won’t leave, I wanna try everything
I wanna try even though I could fail

I’ll keep on making those new mistakes
I’ll keep on making them every day
Those new mistakes

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Try everything
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Try everything
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Try everything
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh

Try everything

I loved that it gives people permission to make mistakes along the way by recognizing that mistakes are part of learning, especially when you are trying out something new. Our school system penalizes students for making mistakes. That’s why most of us have been conditioned to think that mistakes are not good. The truth is that we learn from them.

I believe that making mistakes should not be equated to failure because we can use our mistakes as stepping stones towards our goals. We just need to keep moving forward. Or should I say keep failing forward as we make one mistake after another.

I love that the song encourages people not to give up easily. Persistence in the midst of challenges and disappointments builds character.

I also liked that it did not paint an unrealistic picture of trying new things. What do I mean? It said that it can happen that after you’ve given your best that you still come out last. Things don’t always unfold or happen as we plan or envision them to unfold. But that should not make us give up and quit trying.

I also loved that it said that we should not be too hard on ourselves. I agree with that. I encourage people to celebrate not just their big wins but their small wins as well. It’s good to be reminded of how much we have achieved compared to where we once were.

This song reminded of many wonderful lessons and one of them is to be grateful for where I am now and what I have accomplished so far. It’s easy to trivialize our achievements once they’ve become our new normal. But looking back helps us to remember that these things that are now part of our new normal used to be dreams only. Like when I was still a little girl, writing and publishing a book that will make a difference in other people’s lives was just a dream. Now, I’m living this dream!

Don’t you love this song’s message? I do!

Try Everything at the #HOPESummit2017

That’s why I asked my eldest son to sing it at the Hands-On Parents while Earning or H.O.P.E. Summit 2017 last April 22 at the Insular Life Corporate Center.

One of the talks I gave in that parenting summit is How to Earn Full-Time Income through Freelancing. This is one of the songs I asked my son to sing and play on the piano at the beginning of my talk. The other song I asked him to sing was How Far I’ll Go from the movie Moana. You can read why I also asked him to sing this song in my previous blog post.

I wanted to use this in my presentation because it is aligned with my message to parents.

I believe that if we really love our kids, we would be willing to try everything (legal and possible) to help us fulfill our dream to give the best to our families.

If for example, our current situation is not effective or helping us move closer to our goals, then, we should try something different.

Albert Einstein once said that it is insanity to keep on doing the same thing over and over and expect a different result.

Freelancing is something that other parents have tried and many are already successful in doing this. In fact, there are already 1.5 million online workers in the Philippines based on a survey last year. Are you already part of this statistic? Do you want to become a freelancer as well?

Let me share this slide that I showed to the parents who attended the Hands-On Parents while Earning (H.O.P.E.) Summit last Saturday.

 

I’ve never had formal training or education on writing or publishing books. But I tried to write for publications as a freelance writer when I was a first-time mom. I tried it because I wanted to still use my skills even as I prioritize being with my baby then. I was so grateful that there were publications who liked my writing style and accepted me as part of their team.

I also tried publishing my own books, both in e-book format and in paperback. I made  A LOT of mistakes along the way but I also learned  A LOT! I just kept failing forward. 🙂 With every mistake, I learned something. I got to do things better the next time around. I’m still learning. I keep on trying and I keep on making mistakes. But I keep on moving forward. I don’t let my mistakes stop me from moving closer to my goals.

That’s why I used this song Try Everything to exhort fellow parents at the H.O.P.E. Summit not to be afraid to try something new that they think could help them and their family.

It takes a lot of courage to try something we’ve never tried before. I know that. I went through that many times.

But the truth is that we become braver each time we try something new.

I can say this now to you because that has been my experience. The first step or first try is usually the most difficult. But once you get to try out something new, you gain greater courage and confidence. So, even though you don’t succeed right away, you still win. You win over your fears.

My Courageous Son, A Little Boy with Great Courage

I was one proud Mommy last Saturday because my eldest son performed at the HOPE Summit 2017. It was his first time to sing a solo in public and to play on the piano while singing. He has never done that before. For the longest time, we’ve been encouraging him to try singing while playing the piano. He used to sing a lot before he started playing the piano. But when he started playing the piano, he stopped singing. He spent more time practicing his piano skills. He still sings every now and then but he doesn’t sing while playing the piano until recently.

During the HOPE Summit last Saturday, he sang not just one song but 4 songs as part of the program! He sang The Lord’s Prayer as part of the invocation. Then, he sang Fireworks by Katy Perry at the start of my first talk. Then, How Far I’ll Go and Try Everything at the beginning of my second talk. Then, during breaks, he also sang more songs.

He conquered his fear of singing while playing the piano and singing solo in public! What a feat! Wonderful milestone! I was delighted that my husband, my two younger kids and my mom were all there to witness this historic milestone in our eldest son’s life. 🙂 His courage inspires me! His courage inspires his younger brothers also! In fact, his younger brothers got so inspired by his performance that during the afternoon snack break, they each picked a mic and sang with him! That wasn’t planned! But we enjoyed their performance just the same.

Do you also feel in your heart a tug to try something new? Do you feel scared? It’s okay to feel scared. But don’t let your fear paralyze you. Recognize your fear but get over it.

Whatever it is that you are afraid of, do it afraid!

Don’t be afraid to make a mistake. Remember that you still learn and win even with every mistake.

Have you tried something new lately? How was your experience? Feel free to share with me in the comments! I’d love to connect with other brave-hearted individuals! 😉