Over the long Easter weekend, I had the pleasure of going to watch the latest rendition of the classic story of Cinderella. I entered the cinema with an open mind, though still holding close the beloved, 1950’s animated tale, and I was impressed with what unravelled before my eyes. It was remarkably traditional and faithful, whilst also refreshing in our era with its beautiful staging and costuming, magical sequences and values – one that shone above all others – “Have courage & be kind”. Cinderella’s mother shares this wisdom, framed as “a great secret that will see her through all of the trials that life has to offer”, and this mantra certainly worked out well for her (in the end).
Lets take a moment to think about the real meaning behind this quote…
Kindness:
The quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.
Courage:
The quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery. To have the courage of one’s convictions, to act in accordance with one’s beliefs, especially in spite of criticism.
The blend of these two core virtues might be the key to getting through situations and they often work in parallel. Kindness and courage are survival skills in most fairytales and, as it turns out, life. Cinderella faces each day armed with these traits and as a reward she is ultimately rescued from her situation and her life turns out for the better. Would Cinderella have had a chance at a happier life if she wasn’t courageous enough to step out of her world and into the ball? Would the Prince have fallen in love with her if she were as mean and spiteful as her wicked step-mother and step-sisters?
Being kind, even if it is undeserved, will help you to maintain a strong sense of self. You don’t need to mirror other people’s behaviour, if they choose to be unkind, overcome this with strength and courage, which are virtues that are also required to keep moving forward in life.
Whatever happens in your life, choose to live it beautifully and remember to have courage and be kind!
The Girl In Glasses 
I really want to see this movie but I was so scared it was going to dissapoint, I have had a couple of friends watch it now and say that it was good so now I am really excited to see it 🙂 Beautiful post, kindness and courage are so important.
xox
Jasmine
http://www.jasminewalker.org/wordpressorg
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I didn’t know what to expect with the film either, I was a little concerned about how some of the sequences would translate on to the big-live action-screen! I would never say that it was better than the original, as I’m sure all other movie-goers would agree, though it was right. It was as faithful as it could be and it had a few twists and turns to keep it fresh. I loved Maleficent too, so very pleased with this new chapter for Disney.
It really is a feel-good movie, kindness and courage will help to keep you smiling throughout, even during the dark times.
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Ah, I just watched Cinderella tonight! What a coincidence! It was definitely a feel-good fairy tale movie. One that we need to watch every now and then to filter out the negativity and all that is not right in this world. Yes, have courage and be kind, indeed! 🙂
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That is a coincidence! I watched the movie on with Saturday and these words have stayed in my head ever since 🙂
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Reblogged this on From My Mind… and commented:
With such posts every Monday, it’s sure is a great way to start the week. Great to be back and reading your blogs again…
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Thanks so much for the kind words, it makes me happy to know that my blog posts might feature in people’s days at all. It’s great to have you back too, I hope all is well.
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Yea, all is well. Had missed this space…
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