My Brother The Bear, An Example Of Personal Growth

The passage between  childhood and adulthood is a process full of challenges.  This causes us to change our paradigms and take on new tasks. The film  My Brother the Bear  illustrates this process. Let’s dive deeper into the subject.

Personal growth occurs all the time throughout life, sometimes without our knowing it.  Personal growth is a progressive process, and all our life experiences are put together and create our personal growth path. But our progression is not always linear. Progress is often accompanied by setbacks.

My brother the bear,  a man’s story

My Brother the Bear  is an animated film released in 2003.  It tells the story of young Kenai, who is growing up.  During his entrance ceremony into adulthood, Kenai hopes to receive a totem of wood. This totem, blessed by the great spirits, will give Kenai the key to living happily ever after.

But Kenai suffers great disappointment when the secret of his totems is revealed. The great spirits cut a bear into the totem, which represents love.  Kenai expected to receive a totem of courage, just like his brothers. Kenai’s brother, Sitka, represents the guide while his other brother, Denahi, represents wisdom.

Angry and frustrated, Kenai begins to chase a bear that has just eaten the village fish. Sitka and Denahi follow, but an accident happens and Sitka dies. Kenai wants revenge, so he hunts and kills the bear. Sitka’s spirit, however, intervenes. The magic of the great spirits turns Kenai into a bear.

Kenai, now a bear, is lonely and disoriented at first. There he meets a little bear cub, Koda, who has lost his mother. Kenai and Koda must embark on a journey together. Their destination is a mountain where the great spirits touch the earth. Only there can the great spirits break the magic so that Kenai can become a human again.

During this trip, Kenai begins to understand the true meaning of family. In addition, he begins to take on adult responsibilities, such as taking care of the young. Kenai is also strengthening its relationship with Denahi. At the end of the film, Kenai decides to remain a bear. He decides that between his two brothers, Denahi and little Koda, it is Koda who needs him the most. 

The journey of personal growth in  My brother the bear

Various films show the character’s personal growth when faced with a long journey filled with adventure. My brother the bear  is one of those movies. These trips rarely happen in everyday life. But personal growth in our own lives can easily be compared to one of these journeys. 

Personal growth is a long-term project without a real goal. The project on personal growth consists of a number of goals.  Some of these goals are established at the beginning of the journey while others occur during the journey. Personal goals also vary according to our abilities and interests.

We can compare life with a long and exciting journey.  As time goes on and we move on to our path, we begin to see new opportunities. These opportunities can in turn change our path. Sometimes we experience moments of sadness, and other times we go through moments of great happiness and contentment.

Start your journey

Our path expands as people enter our lives, and we gather different life experiences.  Many young people believe that being an adult is a static phase with fixed characteristics. Although being an adult involves certain responsibilities, these are not the only things that define adulthood. Adulthood is a state of constant learning.

The growth of the adult’s interior is focused on improving the quality of life. As we grow, we realize that our actions involve certain reactions from our environment. It is about identifying the stimuli that give us the results we are looking for to be satisfied.

Being an adult means understanding that each person has their own process and their own challenges. The most important thing is to analyze our own actions to identify our motivations. If we act in accordance with what motivates us, we can establish goals that are in line with our values.

The importance of a support network

A support network is a group of people with whom we maintain a relationship over time. This relationship is based on compassion and trust. The group of people is emotionally important to use and is willing to support us. A support network provides help in difficult times, so we feel a little less pain.

Family and friends can include a support network. The members of it have our full trust. In an effective interpersonal relationship  , we are part of every person in the group’s support network. Therefore, cooperation is mutual and two-way.

To establish functional support networks, communication is the most important part. Communication allows us to understand the behaviors and motivations of other people. In this way, such a network must be based on communication and trust. Communication allows it to adapt to the personal growth of each of its members, as our goals and abilities change.

Growth happens gradually, not as a sudden action. Therefore, the passage from childhood to adulthood is a gradual process. During this process  , family and friends act as pillars that the individual can rely on if necessary.  We must remember that every young person must go through a period of self-knowledge and reflection.