Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Last Friday I took Zoe to see "Alice in Wonderland". After much anticipation on the part of the teenagers around here, I was pleasantly surprised by Tim Burton's version of the classic adventure. We had a grand time with a huge bucket of popcorn and enough treats to feed the rest of the movie theater. Then we went to Costco. There I let Zoe ride on the bottom of the cart, with her head nestled into a super cute towel/robe. It was exciting, let me tell you.

Since then I have been pondering some of the themes of the movie. I don't want to give anything away, but as one who tends to read between the lines, I think that it is a great story of self-discovery. And it is inspiring. At least for me...and now our blog.

In the movie, Alice recalls something her father once told her about dreams. As a child, she was afraid of sleep and wondered if her vivid imagination was a sign of insanity. A man of big dreams himself, he quieted her fears and assured her that she was normal by saying "sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast".

Ultimately, his gentle reassurance enabled her to believe in herself when the time came to face the fire-breathing Jabberwocky.

Don't we all have our very own Jabberwocky that we must face? What is it for you? These days for me it is one huge dragon made up of the strain of nursing school, the stress of parenting, the everyday tasks of laundry, cleaning, and bills, and trying to meet everyone's needs. Sometimes even the simplest of tasks can seem overwhelming and one little curve ball leaves me teetering on the edge of sure destruction!

But here's what I learned from Alice. And even though I know I've heard it a million times, something about Tim Burton's crazy artistry made it stick.

Strength comes from within.

You have to believe in yourself!

It's a easy as choosing...Do you want death and destruction? Or joy and triumph?

What we tell ourselves over and over affects our attitude. And every day we can choose whether we will conquer or be squashed.

For me I know that strength from within comes through prayer, scripture study, going to the temple, and self-reflection. All so important, but seem like daily impossibilities when combined with 50 million other things that have to be accomplished.

But the point of all this is to learn from Alice. So, here's to believing 6 impossible things before breakfast!