Which of the seven dwarfs is your favorite? Which one do you hate the most? Did you know that all of them live within you? That you are not only Doc and Happy, but also Grumpy, or Bashful?
The good news is, all of them are adorable as long as you can see the good points each have, just like Snow White did. So why not start feeling like Snow White and learn to love each of them? Learn to love your inner self. Here you are some reasons why you should:
Bashful
Do you think being social and outgoing is good? Are you willing to share your life – both personal and professional – through social media? Well, according to a TED talk by Susan Cain, introverts bring extraordinary talents and abilities to the world, and should be encouraged and celebrated. At the end of the day, if Bashful makes the effort to speak, maybe it is time to listen to him.
Next time you experience something new, you can be like Snow White and love your inner Bashful; he knows when it is better to keep something for your own joy.
Doc
Is it possible to never fail? I don’t think so. Failing makes you a loser? Of course not. And you know what? Doc, the leader of the gang of seven, is not afraid of mixing up his words, because he knows every leader makes lots of mistakes. But he has more than mistakes to show the others. Doc is wise enough to know that learning comes after failing. It is because he fails that he can keep learning and leading his team.
Next time you make a mistake, you can be like Snow White and love your inner Doc because of the many things you do well.
Dopey
Have you ever felt sorry just after saying something? Your mouth was faster than your mind, so words came out, and there’s no going back.
What about being Dopey? He never speaks, so he never feels that way. And, moreover, Dopey is clumsy, which is very good because people around him can feel good about helping him. If you don’t love Dopey and try to do everything well, people can start feeling useless next to you.
Next time you need to say something, you can be like Snow White and love that mute Dopey; and, if you fail, be sure you are leaving room for others to help.
Grumpy
Why do you need to love Grumpy? He is always complaining; he doesn’t like anything. He doesn’t even like Snow White!
Well, Grumpy is not afraid of showing his feelings, like it or not. Sometimes we’d like to share our feelings but we fear other’s reactions, so we say nothing. And the problem is we find no relief in silence. On the contrary: feelings tend to increase through silence, until we explode at the wrong time in front of the wrong person. Grumpy doesn’t suffer this process because he expresses his feelings.
Next time you feel there is something you need to say, you can be like Snow White and love your inner Grumpy; he will find the way to express your feelings in an assertive way.
Happy
Happy is always joyous. He celebrates life. He knows that the glass is half full. Of course he feels sad – especially after Snow White bites that apple. But Happy knows there’s always another way to view things. He is always ready to see happiness around him. He knows life is unbalanced because joy is heavier than sadness, and a bad moment cannot bring darkness to all those bright experiences.
Next time you feel sad, you can be like Snow White and love you inner Happy; you’ll start focusing on good times, in the past and yet to come.
Sleepy
Today’s world pushes us to try harder. We keep struggling to be better parents, better friends, better workers, better lovers, better citizens. The more demanding, the better. And there’s no time to stop. Every day lasts from 5 to 23, no breaks in between. But, as Sleepy knows, the best results come after a balance between training and rest. So he makes sure he is having enough time to take a nap. Sleepy takes care of himself, because he knows no one else will.
Next time you think you cannot stop and breathe, you can be like Snow White and love Sleepy, your inner dwarf who knows you are the most important thing you have.
Sneezy
Sneezy suffers hay fever; he is always ill, sneezing like a giant, though he’s only a dwarf.
What can be good with him? Well, does he really look ill? Does he stop doing anything because of sneezes? Nope. Sneezy works in the mine, just like the other six, and sings and eats and walks and dances and smiles. Sneezy is not stopped by sneezing. Even better, he has found a way to move heavy objects without even touching them. That “illness” is actually a gift!
Next time you feel beaten by illness, you can be like Snow White and love your inner Sneezy who, while sneezing, lives a great life.
Bonus track: Snow White
As you probably know, my favorite character in this tale is Snow White. She has the power of looking at others and bring out the very best in them. She has suffered from the very first day of her life, and she still can find love and happiness everywhere.
Snow White’s friends are not just dwarfs anymore, but people with powerful gifts. And all those gifts actually live in you. Are you ready to start using them?
Featured photo credit: Lead the way, Happy / Hector Parayuelos via flickr.com
