Lessons Learned from The #PeanutsMovie
So my wife is a huge Charlie Brown fan. Every year, we must sit down and watch all the holiday specials. And when she heard the Peanuts Movie was coming out she made sure it was scheduled in for us to see. And if I must admit, I haven’t ever been that big of a fan of the Peanuts gang. There’s no real reason in particular, it just hasn’t really appealed to me.
That changed though after I saw The Peanuts Movie. It was so genuine, innocent, and heartfelt that at it really tugged at my heart strings. And throughout the movie I felt like I was learning one lesson after another.
I wrote about this concept before, but watching the movie and throughout it seeing how much of a shoulder, support, and cheerleader that Snoopy was to Charlie Brown gave me a new insight. Snoopy never speaks in any of the cartoons or movies. Yet, he shows so much support and devotion to his friend, Charlie Brown, that even in Charlie’s darkest moments Snoopy is there.
Sometimes we can feel really down and out and alone. We can feel like we have no one. If there’s one thing I’ve learned really well over the past years is that how important it is to find your people. To find those who will not only cheer you on, but those who will be there in your darkest hour, those who will provide a loving yet honest voice, those who won’t let you forget or fall alone. Everyone needs their own Snoopy.
This is our number one rule at Webb Elementary. We tell our students every day to be brave, and I loved how a theme throughout the entire movie was how hard, yet how easy, it was for Charlie Brown to be brave.
From flying a kite to talking to the new girl, everyone has something that puts a little fear in their hearts. But it’s in those moments of doubt those moments of wondering if we can or not, that we must. We must be brave enough to take risks, to keep going when the path gets rocky, to try again when we’ve failed.
It’s so very important for us to be brave.
Through a mishap, the entire school comes to believe that Charlie Brown is a genius. And what does Charlie Brown do? At first he doubts, but then he begins to believe it himself, and it changes the way he looks at himself.
This reminded me so quickly of the power our words have. It reminded me of how quickly we all forget our worth and sometimes it takes others telling us how awesome we are and believing in us, before we can believe in ourselves.
When was the last time you truly celebrated someone? Like really celebrated.
Charlie Brown does a lot of selfless things and never does them to be noticed. He doesn’t do them for accolades or applause. And he never things anyone sees them anyway.
But what I loved was that at the end of the movie, Charlie Brown learns that everyone saw. That there were people who looked up to him, who admired him, for the decisions and example he sets with his actions.
It reminded me that someone is always watching. Someone is always seeing the choices we make, the actions we do or don’t take, the words we do or don’t speak.
What are you showing about your true heart?
This one probably hit me the hardest in the movie. Charlie Brown has always been that character that lots of things happen to him that work against him, but he keeps going. Even when it seems like every single thing has gone wrong, Charlie Brown still charges ahead.
But what I found most moving, was a portion of the movie when Charlie Brown met a little boy who was trying to fly a kite. Throughout the move we learn that Charlie Brown has been trying to fly a kite for a while yet one thing after another keeps him from achieving it.
When he sees the little boy getting things set up, the boy asks for help. Charlie Brown gets him all set up, and off the boy goes.
And where it hit me hardest, was as the boy was running trying to get the kite in the air, Charlie Brown is whispering “Come on. You can do it. Don’t give up yet. Don’t give up hope. It’s going to fly!”
Even in the midst of constant failure, when Charlie Brown meets someone else who believes he can do something Charlie Brown has yet to do, Charlie Brown doesn’t beat him down. He doesn’t cover him with negativity or all the reasons why it won’t work.
Instead, Charlie Brown lends a helping hand and holds out hope. He believes in something.
That part of the movie almost had me in tears. Because how many times have I stifled someone else because of my own insecurities?
These were just a few of the lessons I learned from the Peanuts Movie. I love when I walk into a movie that’s clearly designed for kids, and leave with something myself. Something pure and honest. I love movies like that.
Have you seen the Peanuts Movie yet? Did it move you like it did me? Share in the comments!
