With Disney’s new movie, Moana, there’s no doubt that they did it again. The inspiring story of a girl from the Pacific Islands who partnered with the demigod Maui to restore the heart of a goddess has captured the heart of many. Like every Disney movie, Moana comes with great moral lessons. When I first saw the movie, I quickly realized the many Moana life lessons we can learn from.

 

1.) Follow the inspiration we received.

Ever since she was young, Moana loved the ocean. Despite her young age, she continually showed an interest in exploring the ocean beyond the reef, something that both of her parents consider to be extremely dangerous. Despite her parents’ wishes that she stays, there was something inside her that tells her to go. Eventually, she realized that the reason why she needed to leave her village was for her to save not only their island but the entire nature as well.

Sometimes in life, we can face moments where we hesitate to follow a prompting because of what other people tell us. The prompting could either be to go on a mission, to marry in the temple, to get baptized or even to just do one simple deed. Like Moana, we should try not to decline every opportunity to do good.

2.) Parents just want to protect us.

The parents of Moana are protective to her and they have a good reason to be. When Moana’s father was young, he and his friend secretly sailed beyond the reef; an action that took the life of her father’s best friend. That experience led his parents to ban her from going beyond the reef. Their intentions are good because they knew exactly what lies beyond and they do not warm harm to befall Moana. Although Moana and her parents don’t always see eye to eye, the restrictions were out of love.

Sometimes our parents set rules and boundaries that we feel to be restrictive. Like Moana’s parents, they know the dangers of today’s world and they are doing their best do keep us from the evils of this age.

3.) But parents should also learn to let go.

However, there will be times that parents also need to let go. When Moana saw the necessity to leave the island in order  to save her people, her mother saw her reasons and allowed her to go. The decision to let Moana go saved their people and their island.

Sometimes, children receive impressions and inspirations that are sometimes opposite to what their parents feel. This difference sometimes causes conflict. However, there are times that parents need to let go, let their children follow the promptings and trust in their decisions.

4.) Patience is a virtue

When Moana left the island, nothing was easy for her. She needed to find Maui, she was not equipped to sailing, and she had a journey ahead of her. Indeed, patience was of necessity.

Like in life, when an inspiration is received, it sometimes doesn’t come easy. Challenges come, difficulties arise. We need to be patient with our circumstances, with others, and most especially, with ourselves. We should never forget to “believe in good things to come.”

5.) Remember who we are.

Last but the most important of all, we must always remember who we are. When Moana was faced with a terrible ordeal, she was tempted to give up. However, when she was about to turn her back to the purpose why she was at sea, she remembered that the ocean chose her; she was the one destined to bring back the heart of the goddess.

Life’s challenges, pressures, and difficulties often lead us to give up, be complacent, and forget who we are. However, we must always remember who we are. We are sons and daughters of Heavenly Father with a grand destiny waiting for us. This divine identity of ours may not save us from facing obstacles, but it will help us move forward with direction, faith, and optimism.

Moana isn’t just a movie about adventure, it’s also a movie meant to inspire and remind us of life’s most important lessons. So if ever you come across the movie, take the time to reflect; you never know what Moana could teach you.