Attraction Mind Map

(Read this story and see if you can spot key lessons on following your dreams)…..

Princess Ariel had a dream but she had one BIG problem preventing her from realising it. You see….Ariel was a mermaid and had a tail, instead of legs. Yet, she could not stop dreaming about being where the people are. She wanted to walk down the streets. She wanted to do the things they do and to see them dancing.

How nice it will be to join the American Idol, she thought. (Yes, it seems that American Idol is not just something that is known to those that live on the land. It’s fame and popularity has even spread to those that live Under the Sea). It would be so lovely to be able to sing Part of Your World (view video below) on stage, for it reflected her dream.

A Conflict In Career Choice

Ariel had often wondered about what she wanted to do when she grew up. Amidst the stillness of the waters inside the deepest caves of the Indian Ocean, Ariel meditated on her purpose and came to an important conclusion.

Her purpose was to express the beauty of life in artistic expressions. Although she was born a mermaid, Ariel was very sure that she wanted to dance and sing, as a means of expression. She felt an inner desire to connect with the creative souls of the Universe (both on sea and on land). Her desire was also to see the world in all its beauty and brilliance.

Unfortunately, her father, King Triton, had other ideas and plans for her.

He felt that she should be a doctor. A merdoctor earns more coral gems, he reasoned. He would feel so proud if his daugther could heal the fishes, treat the crabs, and help the dolphins. It would be a noble profession, one that would garner a lot of respect in the Sea Kingdom.

And what can a little mermaid do anyway? He shook his head sadly at the thought of how impractical Ariel was. He felt that Ariel should just go through merschool and take the safe and proven path to making a living Under the Sea.

Pursuing A Dream Despite Objections

Ariel did not care if her purpose or dream sounded ridiculous to her father. She put up a vision board (see picture) in her cavern and looked at it everyday. She would often sit atop the Mermaid Rock to recite her positive daily affirmations. She practised kindness and compassion to all living sea creatures, exuding much positive energy.

Not long after, Ariel ran into Queen Ursula, who promised her legs in exchange for her beautiful singing voice. Ariel was excited. Here’s her chance to leave the Sea Kingdom, she thought. She decided that she had little choice but to go away to follow her dreams. Ariel just could not see herself wasting her life away as a merdoctor and not see the world. “Well, at least if I can’t get to sing, I can get to see Hollywood!” she said to herself.

She then agreed to Queen Ursula’s proposal. In the next instant, Ariel found herself washed to the shores of LA. In place of a tail was a pair of slim sexy legs!! They were most certainly a pair of legs made for dancing. Just like the ones that she had always visualized them to be.

Amazing Discoveries In Store

On the beach, she was delighted to find that she could walk, then run, hop and skip. She found some clothes lying on the far corners o the beach, put them on and decided to head for downtown LA.

In town, she came upon an electronic store selling TVs, and decided to go in. Ariel found herself watching a telecast of The American Idol on one of the TV sets that was being put up for sale. That’s when it hit her. She thought sadly, without a voice, how could she ever get to run for auditions?

Ariel began to feel despair. She became negative. Then, she remembered what she was taught as a child. She said a silent prayer and asked in ernest for a sign from the Universe on what to do next.

At that moment, something caught her eye. Ariel noticed that there was a queue for another audition. It was to recruit dancers for Paula Abdul. As one of the judges for The American Idol, Paula Abdul was also in town to shoot her music video in promotion of her latest single “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow”. Ariel was intrigued and went for the auditions. To her delight, she got selected.

Revelations For A Father

In the meantime, King Triton missed Ariel, his beloved daugther. While on a hunt, he came upon a scroll found in a long forgotten shipwreck. On the scroll, it was written…..

“Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daugthers of life’s longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you.
And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
You may give them you love
but not your thoughts,
For they have their own thoughts.
You may strive to be like them, but seem not to make them like you.”

—- Khalil Gibran, Lebanese American, artist, poet and writer (1883-1931)

King Triton’s tears started to roll down his cheeks. While the scroll had been written for the human race, he knew that it applied to just about any creature here on this planet. He realised that he had imposed his own thoughts and dreams on his daugther. He concluded that he needed to support Ariel’s dreams, instead of stifling them.

A Happy Reunion For Father And Child

King Triton then went looking for and confronted the wicked Queen Ursula. He managed to rescue Little Ariel’s voice from her. He placed his daugther’s voice in a sea coral and with a wave of his magic staff, changed his tail to a pair of macho hairy legs and went looking for his lost daugther in LA.

Ariel was happy to run into her father on the streets. She forgave him immediately for all the conflicts they ever had. King Triton ran to embrace the little girl, whom he so loved dearly. He restored Ariel’s voice and told her sternly not to run away from him again.

Ariel was glad to get her singing voice back. She was happy to be reunited with her father. She felt that while she might not have been in time for this year’s auditions of the American Idol, she could always join the next. In the meantime, a stint with Paula Abdul’s dance toupe will be a valuable experience for her, she thought.

It is a happy ending, at least for now, for The Little Mermaid and her Big American Idol Dream. Just in case you are interested, you can see Ariel’s performance as one of the dancers in Paula Abdul’s music video here….

Key Footnotes

1. Follow Your Dreams. Are you stopping yourself from following your dreams because it is safer to go down the proven path or are you motivated to follow your heart’s desires, despite the challenges that you may face?

2. Support The Dreams Of Your Kids. Reflect on the words of Khalil Gibran in the poem above, for there is so much truth in it.

3. Chalking Up Relevant Experiences In Pursuit Of Your Goals. Sometimes, you may find that achieving your goals take a little longer in time because it is necessary to chalk up relevant experiences. Instead of feeling negative, take these experiences in stride for they will stand you in good stead later on.

Further Readings

Check out my collection of stories on Disney Princesses, retold to reveal key lessons in living an abundant and more fulfilled life….

1. Cinderella And The Story About Attracting Abundance

2. Snow White And The 7 Faces Of The Power of Intention

If you’ve enjoyed Ariel’s story, do bookmark it by using the icons or toolbar below. By doing so, she knows that she has your support in her audition for the American Idol next year.

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