Inside Out: Convictions and Perspectives

SPOILER ALERT! If you have not seen the movie and wish to do so, you may choose not to read this post until you have.

            Like most Pixar movies, Inside Out was on my radar to see. The sense of urgency increased as I began to hear what a profound movie it is, how it deals so well with feelings, and that it is a must-watch for anyone who loves or works with persons with disabilities. All of that and awesome friends took me to see the movie Monday night. I can’t possibly tackle everything the movie offered in this post. I will offer some of the initial insights that I derived, the perspectives it offered, and the convictions it so powerfully gave me in light of where I am.

Fixing with Joy

            God got my attention within the first five minutes of the film.  The story opens with a new baby, Riley and her parents beaming at their baby girl. The Emotion/character Joy is doing a voiceover. For the first moments of Riley’s life, Joy is the only emotion inside Riley. Sadness enters the picture with Riley’s   first cry. Joy says, “I’m Joy. I can fix this.” CONVICTION. How many times have I done that in my life? How many people have I wanted so much to help that I tried to “fix” them with joy? Don’t get me wrong or feel concerned. I KNOW that my Joy is a gift. I know that it is one of my greatest giftings. I KNOW that it is one of the reasons I’m on this planet, so that I can bring people joy. It just became very clear in that moment that God was using this movie to truly speak to me and continue the work He has been doing in me.

“”Emotions can’t quit, genius.” Disgust to Anger

            With Joy and Sadness missing from Headquarters, Riley is left to the controls of Anger, Fear, and Disgust. First of all, how brilliant of the writers. Riley is 11. She is at the age of onset when those emotions do take control! Riley’s life is in chaos and she is miserable. Her “personality lands” are falling apart…with her family, friends, even her honesty. Anger is ready to walk out, which is when Disgust tells him that EMOTIONS CAN’T QUIT.

            Feelings are feelings. They are in us, they are a part of us. It’s what we do wth them.

Anger can be positive if it drives us to positive action or strength. Think about the organizations and causes fueled by anger. Danny Cahill likes to refer to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. That came from a place of anger and a desire for change. Burying or denying anger is certainly unhealthy. I have had the opportunity to lay down some anger I’ve been dealing with for WAY TOO LONG. It was affecting me way more than I realized. Dealing with that anger was one of the most freeing experiences of my life.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit, but as I mentioned, does not need to be used to “fix” or hide other emotions.

Sadness is another emotion that again, is not bad. I love how Sadness is portrayed. Initially Joy’s biggest adversary, it is Sadness that truly knows the way. It is Sadness willing to help Joy. It is Sadness that ultimately teaches Joy important lessons. But when ignored, Sadness leads to loneliness and depression.

Fear of a hot stove is a good thing. One of my biggest fears is getting lost by myself. Fears can protect us. They can equip us to make wise decisions. Fears that keep us from enjoying life or make us crazy, on the other hand, are fears that need to be handled more healthfully.

“You need me to be happy.”

Some of Riley’s problems stem from the fact that her Mom told her that since they moved, Riley’s Dad is really stressed and what the family needs is for Riley to be happy. Riley was forced to put on a happy face when she wasn’t. I have recently heard the phrase “hiding behind happy”. The truth is that there are times when I’ll put on the happy face when there are a multitude of other emotions lying underneath the surface. Emotions can’t quit, remember?

Emotional Perspective

Joy spends a large portion of the movie trying to keep Sadness from making things worse. Sadness, from Joy’s perspective, is messing everything up. Everything she touches is turning blue. Joy is trying so hard to protect the memories from Sadness that they end up separated from Headquarters and the control center.

What Joy doesn’t realize is how helpful Sadness can be. Sadness, having read the manuals, knows the direction they need to go. Joy won’t hear of it. She ends up abandoning Sadness in hopes of protecting the memories to stay Joyful and make her way back to Headquarters.

It isn’t until Joy is alone with Riley’s imaginary friend that she begins to see the importance of Sadness. She holds a memory sphere in her hand. As she turns it in her hand, she sees the other side of a memory. She sees that after missing a hockey goal, it is Riley’s sadness that summons her family and friends to support her.

It’s all about perspective. We get so focused on our way of looking at things that we miss other points of view. Sit in a different chair. Stand where you usually sit. Listen when you usually talk. Things will look different. There have been times in my life where my Joy has been perceived as over—the-top hyperness rather than joy. I may see moment as rejection, while the other person may see the same moment as pride.

Another great example: Facebook. When I post on Facebook, I’m posting a perspective. You’re not getting the whole picture. In fact, most of the time, unless it is in a group, I try to keep it positive. If you only go by Facebook, you won’t know the full scope of what is going on with me.

“Get that idea out of her head”

            People who have been walking closely with me lately are probably laughing about now. Riley gets it in her head (in the form of a sphere going into a hole in the control panel) that the solution to her problems is to run away! This part of the movie is PURE GENIUS! The idea ball literally gets stuck in the control panel! The emotions panic. I could have a whole ball pit of stuck ideas;) I’ve been learning how to free those ideas from my head, without the panic. It is wonderful.

Imagination launching Joy in the right direction

            Joy and Sadness encounter Bing Bong on their journey. Bing Bong is Riley’s  childhood imaginary friend. Bing Bong is also a hero for Joy, when he literally launches her out of the Dump so that she can reach the surface, which will lead back to to Sadness and then Headquarters.

            There is a place. It is a wonderful place. It’s called AliLand. It’s where I dream up crazy adventures, some a little more unrealistic than others. I’ve done a lot of really cool things in my life that came from dreams. How ‘bout seeing four of my all-time favorite artists in the last 2 years? Then there’s my adventure in cars and busses to get to North Georgia in back in 18 hours to support a friend. Not much can top following a celebrity for 5 years and ultimately calling him Coach and friend! There’s so much more where that came from…my imagination!

           

Honorabe Mention

            The Facts and Opinions end up in the same box, mixed together. Hehehehe. Genius.

Conclusion

           

            Inside Out is brilliant! It is profound! It so beautifully depicts life, feelings, personality, and truth. I am confident that I could watch it again and pull all new insights from it. What’d you think?