Toy Story 4 Just Got Spiritual

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WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Now, Toy Story may have only came out recently, but if you still haven't seen it - you really need to.

With all the incredible nostalgia aside, Pixar always seems to take animation a step further by exploring difficult subjects whilst still delivering quality entertainment, wild adventure and a child-like view of the world. From 'Up' to 'Coco', you can always expect to shed a tear or come to a deep realisation whilst watching a Pixar film. The films may be intended for younger audiences, but their themes are far more adult than they appear to be, with Toy Story 4 being no exception.

The franchise brings the gang back together to do what they do best; make their child happy. With wacky characters like Forky and Giggle McDimples, the film promises many laughs, joy and fun. However, this time round, Pixar have taken things further by delving into spirituality and using the enigma of our inner voice as a new selling point. Well done, Pixar. Throughout the film, both Buzz and Woody turn to their inner voice in challenging situations, looking for inner guidance, wisdom and answers that they can't seem to find themselves. Although their inner voice is programmed (they are toys, of course), it does bring to light the idea of turning to your inner voice and intuition when you are in need of help.

The subject of our inner voice goes back as far as man can recall. It is that voice inside your head when you are in a moment of stillness. It offers it's opinion on any given situation. It offers guidance, and above all, support in piecing together complicated and difficult situations. However, if we do not have control over our mind, this can quite quickly become a running inner monologue that will only pull you further into your problems, so much so that it will be incredibly difficult to dig your way back out. You will most likely know how this feels if you've experienced high levels of stress or anxiety at one time or another. Your problems can start to feel endless and you will see no end in sight.

To harness control over your mind, meditation has been recommended time and time again, not only for it's calming effects on the busy mind and the body, but also due to it's ability to help us see situations in a way that helps us navigate through them efficiently.

I can only speak from experience, but my mind is a very busy place. I can drive myself crazy going round and round circles, worrying about the same issues, with the same people, for long periods of time - and yet, still come to no real solution or answer. Meditation has helped me calm down my mind and actually helped me make sense of awful situations I've been through that would have once triggered serious anxiety and sadness, to now simply observing my thoughts, identifying my patterns and actually coming up with tactics to pull myself out of these situations in a healthy, stable way.

Meditation has also helped me become far happier and more in tune with my inner voice, now allowing me to turn inwards when I am in need of direction, trusting that deep down I do trust myself and I know exactly what to do. It seems to me that many of our anxieties and fears lie in judgement and worrying if we are making the right decisions, but if you constantly seek external validation, you are only telling yourself that you do not trust yourself.

As terribly cliche as it may sound, if you cannot trust yourself, then you cannot trust others. Trusting yourself will make all the difference in your life, from helping you decide who should and shouldn't be in your life to what problems you will and won't allow to trouble you.

If you'd like to make just one change this week that will have a domino effect on all aspects of your life instantly, I strongly recommend meditating and getting reacquainted with your inner voice. Toy Story 4 may have been intended for children, but they knew what they were doing when they pointed out the importance of listening to your inner voice. It can make the world of difference to your reality, your mindset and, ultimately, your mental health.

If you'd like to find out more about meditation or you want to meditate, but just don't quite know how, simply drop me a message and I will guide you through it.