It took me a few weeks to feel ready to write this short blog. I knew, after seeing the movie Rocketman, that I wanted – even needed – to put in writing the impact that movie had on me. It continues to stay with me 3 weeks after seeing it. It helps that I love Elton John’s music and there is much of it throughout the movie though it’s not a musical. The real and raw portrayal of a person’s life is more moving than anything imagined. And while most of us will not reach the level of success and fame of Elton John, his story is one that will resonate with many on a personal level. My own childhood was different but yet had a similar loneliness that was portrayed in Rocketman.
Over 50% of the population in this country experiences a sense of ‘not seen’, or ‘not heard’ or feels they do not have a Secure Base or perhaps they missed having a Safe Haven with their parents. Primary needs not met. We do not learn about Elton’s parents in terms of knowing their personal stories. However, you surmise that his mother and father were adults living and coping with their own childhood unmet needs. That’s how we continue the cycle without realizing it. There were many people and events that helped me let go of the shame I carried. I hope, if you had childhood emotional struggles from which you could not extract yourself, that you, too, had people and events that changed the way you now see yourself. Those of us who are helped by others are the conduits for others we meet who need to be seen and heard.
The MOST amazing part of the movie for me was the turning point in Elton John’s life; when he was able to give himself compassion and let go of needing it from others. The healing power of self-compassion could not have been portrayed any more clearly than in that scene. That transformation is why I teach the course Mindful Self-Compassion. My passion is to pass on this gift to as many people as I can touch through personal contact and through the teaching of the MSC course.
If you have not seen Rocketman, I encourage you to do so. If you have any doubts about the power within you to change your life, this movie will eliminate them.
With Appreciation:
Music video by Elton John, Taron Egerton performing (I’m Gonna) Love Me Again. © 2019 HST Recording Limited, under exclusive licence to Mercury Records Limited.
