Encanto for Moms

So there’s this movie you guys might have heard of? Encanto? If you have little kids (or even big kids, like Steph!), your homes and cars may be echoing with the repetitive strains of “talking about Bruno” or “the family Madrigal” or “pressure like a drip, drip, drip…” But aside from the killer songs, we think Encanto has a lot to teach. You may have already read a selection of thought-provoking articles dissecting the deeper themes and hidden meanings of this movie, but we’ve got a few more metaphors we’re going to throw your way through the special Mother Plus lens. So sit back, grab a notebook, and prepare to have you mind blown. (jk 😉)

What Can These Encanto Characters Teach You About Being True To Yourself?  

Let’s start with Luisa. To us, she is the metaphor for the pressure that we feel every day as moms to be everything for our kids and yet still take care of ourselves. One of our favorite lines is “Would that free some room up? Joy, relaxation, or simple pleasures. Instead we measure this growing pressure…” As mothers, what could we put down to make room for joy, relaxation, or simple pleasures? What would happen if we released some of that pressure before we exploded?

 Isabella is the metaphor for perfection and creativity, right? She’s the one who has to do everything a certain way (a beautiful, perfect, soft, symmetrical way). But she doesn’t necessarily love that, and feels trapped by it. In “What Else Can I Do?” she sings: “What could I do if I just knew it didn't need to be perfect. It just needed to be, and they'd let me.” Ultimately, when she was free to let go of those expectations, she ended up creating something that was prickly and asymmetrical, and yet still beautiful, and true to herself.

And Bruno . . . we are totally going to talk about him. Bruno represents honoring our intuition. How many of us have been shamed into silence, whether by someone else or by our own selves to discount what we actually know to be true. Especially when our truth, or our needs or wants, are uncomfortable to other people--maybe our family members, maybe our community, maybe “society” in general. But we say, don’t you dare banish Bruno. Let your Bruno shine.

Stacey brought up a group of people who may get discounted: the townspeople. We think they represent all the help that exists around us, that we just need to reach out and accept. We know it’s hard sometimes, and it's humbling when you open yourself up to your community helping you, to friends, family members, and neighbors who are there for you to lean on. (We are going to talk about this in an upcoming episode--stay tuned) But let those townspeople be there for you-- after you set down your burden (Luisa!), release expectations of those around you (Isabella!) and honor your intuition and what you know to be true (Bruno!), you’re going to be ready to free yourself up to embrace new things, and you’ll need the support of your community to help you. 

And speaking of . . . we want to give you a head start today! We made you guys something, and we are so excited about it! On the Mother Plus Podcast, we're here to give you permission to get out there and do something for yourself. So we made you an actual permission slip. For real. 

Your Permission Slip

So what exactly are we getting into with this thing? First, we focus on how you can change the way you see yourself and your needs, and start putting yourself first. You'll dive into who you were before you became a mom, as well as who you want to be, the woman you would like to become someday.

We share tons of ideas, starters in here for finding the thing that lights you up again, in case you're feeling super stuck. In one episode, we discussed “ finding the other side of your plus”: you might not know what that is, and you might need to do some brainstorming. The permission slip has seven practical steps that you can take to make your passion happen in real life,  where you are right now.

You can grab one for yourself right here. 

It’s a free resource that we hope will get your wheels turning, your creative juices flowing, sparks flying, and other awesome metaphors. ;) So when you’re feeling overwhelmed or stuck, think of us and reach for that permission slip. And don’t forget Bruno, Isa, and Luisa while you’re at it. xo