I See the Light

Listen:  "I See the Light" by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi

There comes a time in each of our lives when each of us "sees the light."  We experience Realization.  Realization is a light bulb moment. 

In the Disney movie, Finding Nemo, Dory experiences this kind of profound Realization moment.  Throughout the movie she has a condition she refers to as short-term-memory loss.  She can’t remember anything.  But she does remember the address she reads off the goggles that were dropped by the person who took Nemo:  P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney

Dory in Finding Nemo

Near the end of the movie when it seems Marlin and Dory have failed to find Nemo, Marlin leaves Dory.  She is alone and distraught until Nemo himself shows up.  She still doesn’t consciously remember him or that she and his father had come a very long way together trying to find him.  But when she reads the name “Sydney” on an underwater pipe, she suddenly remembers the address, the entire adventure with Marlin, and the purpose of their journey.  She REALIZES she has found Nemo who they had been looking for all the while!

Check out the video of this:

In another Disney movie, Tangled, a similar event happens to Rapunzel.  She has memories of her parents and the sun that was in her crib before she was kidnapped by Mother Gothel but they are buried deep in her subconscious.  Sitting on her bed after her entire adventure “out of her tower” she studies the sun on the purple piece of material.  Suddenly the clues and thoughts begin to connect in her mind, the subconscious memories awaken, and she REALIZES she is the LOST PRINCESS!

Watch the video of this:

Usually we experience multiple light bulb moments throughout our lifetime but some of these are more profound than others.

I have experienced Realization in small ways that have piqued my interest as well as profound game-changing ways.  I have noticed that the prerequisite to Light-bulb moments is always earnest study.  I have to be looking for something that is a mystery to me.  I have to have a question I need an answer to really bad, a core Desire I need to obtain, or a Conflict I seriously have to resolve or else my life is vain.

And I have to search with the skill I call Summarization.

I’ve written about Summarization before.  It is the ability to look for what two or more things have in common even though they might be different in other ways.  

Dory’s mind Summarizes when she sees the word “Sydney.”  It connects the dots to form a REALIZATION that was previously scattered.  The memories of Marlin and all her adventures with the sharks, jelly fish, turtles, and seagulls as well as their purpose to FIND NEMO were all in there.  She just couldn’t access them.  Remembering the one word enabled her to make the connection and REMEMBER it all.

Listen:  "Realize" by Caillat

Rapunzel’s mind Summarizes when she’s studying the sun embroidered on her little square of purple material.  This was a symbol of the king and queen’s dynasty.  She recognized it.  It was in her.  She started connecting it with all of her paintings.  Before she even knew who she was by name, she was expressing who she was in action.  It was coming out of her.  It was like a blind experiment.  It was like the Princess and the Pea.  This triggers a chain reaction of memories that serve as clues or evidences that enable her to REALIZE who she is.

I have taught my kids to Summarize in order to REALIZE.  I have done this by regularly asking them to identify their Desires and Conflicts.  We’re on a journey.  We have a destination.  We must Summarize the clues to identify what that is.  I help them with this by evaluating them.  What do I see them “painting” all the time?  Who are they?  How can I help them remember this and the purpose of the journey they are on so they don’t waste their time swimming aimlessly around the sea?  How can I help them connect the dots?

Listen:  "The Reason" by Hoobastank

When I taught them this REALIZATION Process the discipline problems dramatically decreased in our family.  There was less contention and more heart to heart talks.  There was more trust and less concealment.  There was an increased understanding of their value, their worth and less susceptibility to Conflicting Pseudo Causes.  There was a reason to be good.