Who else loves “The Greatest Showman”?
Our family fell in love with it the first time it premiered.
The overall message of the movie just spoke to me.
My kids fell in love with the music, and of course, Zac Efron…wink, wink 😉
The song, “this is me” spoke to my soul though. Does anyone else feel that way?
If you are not familiar with the song, these are the lyrics:
“I am not a stranger to the dark
Hide away, they say
‘Cause we don’t want your broken parts
I’ve learned to be ashamed of all my scars
Run away, they say
No one’ll love you as you are
But I won’t let them break me down to dust
I know that there’s a place for us
For we are glorious
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown ’em out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I’m meant to be, this is me
Look out ’cause here I come
And I’m marching on to the beat I drum
I’m not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me…
Another round of bullets hits my skin
Well, fire away ’cause today, I won’t let the shame sink in
We are bursting through the barricades and
Reaching for the sun (we are warriors)
Yeah, that’s what we’ve become (yeah, that’s what we’ve become)
I won’t let them break me down to dust
I know that there’s a place for us
For we are glorious
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown ’em out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I’m meant to be, this is me
Look out ’cause here I come
And I’m marching on to the beat I drum
I’m not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me…
This is me
and I know that I deserve your love
(Oh-oh-oh-oh) there’s nothing I’m not worthy of
(Oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh, oh, oh)
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown ’em out
This is brave, this is bruised
This is who I’m meant to be, this is me
Look out ’cause here I come (look out ’cause here I come)
And I’m marching on to the beat I drum (marching on, marching, marching on)
I’m not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I’m gonna send a flood, gonna drown ’em out
I’m gonna send a flood
Gonna drown ’em out
Oh
This is me”
Songwriters: Benj Pasek / Justin Paul
This Is Me lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Walt Disney Music Company
I think we have all, at one point in our lives, felt a little broken and bruised by the challenges and trials in life. Whether they were choices we made or choices made by others that affected us.
Life is, unfortunately, a little bit rough sometimes.
But like this song, I would just like to offer that there is no struggle, challenge, or belief that can hold us back if we don’t want it to.
One of my favorite quotes is by Viktor Frankl, who survived living in a Nazi Concentration Camp as a Jew in Germany. He said in his book, “Man’s Search For Meaning”-“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way. When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
I often wonder what we could do as humans if we all believed this.
What if you believed that no matter what was happening around you, to you, for you, etc, you were going to be whoever you felt called to be?
I think the first step to this is acknowledging the hurt we hold inside; the damage we believe is harbored in our hearts; the “broken” parts of us, so to speak.
When you learn to accept yourself just as you are, you free yourself from seeking acceptance from others, and therefore, start seeking to live true to yourself.
That, my friends, is when you can step into your power and full potential as a human.
I believe that we are all born for greatness, we just have to be willing to recognize it, share it, and step into it.
If you’re not sure where to start, here are a few tips:
- Practice self-compassion: Be kind and understanding towards yourself, as you would towards a friend. Pay attention to your thoughts–do you talk to yourself like you would a dear friend?
- Give yourself grace: don’t compare yourself to others–comparison is the THIEF OF JOY! Instead, focus on making progress and learning from your mistakes.
- Practice mindfulness: Pay attention to your thoughts and feelings in the present moment, without judgment–if you wouldn’t judge someone else for it, don’t judge yourself either.
- Take care of yourself: Engage in self-care activities that nourish your body and mind, this includes your thoughts! You do not have to accept every thought you have as fact, and not every thought is worth keeping.
- Seek support: Be aware of those you spend your time with. You become like the 5 people you spend the most time with. If you are not becoming who you want to be, maybe it’s time you start spending time with different people.
Remember, you are amazing and have something unique and valuable to contribute to the world. There is no one who can bring exactly what you can bring; there is no one who can give exactly what you can and there is someone who needs exactly what it is you have to offer.
Go find and share your greatness, friend.