Why We DON’T Talk About Bruno

The catchy songs, bright colors and magic aren’t just what draw us in to become hooked on the the hit movie “Encanto.” 

As we snuggle up on this snowy Saturday morning and rewatch this for the tenth time, it makes me reflect on how we see the FUTURE.

What Kind of Future Do We Envision?

In the movie, the characters in the village become fearful of Bruno because they feel like his visions impact their futures in a negative way. In the song, that will FOR SURE be stuck in your head after listening, they flash from person to person who blames their “woes” on Bruno. Just a few examples in the lyrics below…

“It was our wedding day….Bruno-it looks like rain…it floods my brain…wedding in a HURRICANE!”

“We don’t talk about Bruno.”

“He told me my fish would die…the next day…DEAD!”

“We don’t talk about Bruno.”

“He told me that the man of my dreams, would just be out of reach…betrothed to another!”

“We don’t talk about Bruno.”

“Not a word about Bruno!”

1. A Pervasive Future

So what is this REALLY saying about the future? It tells us, that we have no control over it, that if someone tells something or WORSE YET-WE tell ourselves what will or will not happen-that it’s true, it’s fixed and there’s no changing it.

“You’re not good at math”

“I’m not a morning person”

“I’ll NEVER get another job.”

“I’m a terrible parent.”

Since 2020, we have all faced insurmountable challenges. Because of this, our 200 year old brain is constantly triggered to be in SURVIVAL mode-to protect us from threats.

The ups and downs and unexpected turns have caused us to build a wall of safety. The guard dog of our brain is skeptical to let any positivity and hope in. Because we’ve been let down too many times already.

Therefore many of us have accepted the future “as it is.” The pandemic and/or our limiting beliefs about ourselves, others and our circumstances are pervasive-never ending and won’t ever get better. So what do we do? Some of us are so tired, we start to give up and just throw in the towel. Like the characters in the story-we shut it out. 

We DON’T talk about Bruno.

2. A Permanent Future

OR….we see the future as PERMANENT. The writing is on the wall, there’s no changing it, it’s set in stone, it can’t get any worse… OUR LIVES ARE OVER.

We’ve all let ourselves go down this negative rabbit hole. We feel powerful-less and overwhelmed by so many external challenges that we are trying to control, that it’s just too much to handle. 

So we do 3 things….

1. Fight: whether with words or actions….tension, aggression, conflict, gossip, comparison and “not measuring up.”
2. Flight: run away, numb ourselves with distraction and material things
3. Freeze: shut down, isolate and block out our supports

3. A Perfect Future

We try to control our future-to make it PERFECT. 

We compares ourselves to others’ “perfect” lives on social media and in our communities or we project our own perceived perfection.

We put pressure on ourselves to feel happy when…”I have a bigger house” or “a better car” or when my kids get into the “best college.”

We set expectations for the future without realizing all that we have in the PRESENT.

Just like Abuela was focused so much on each family member’s gift of service—-she forgot that the true gift was WITHIN each person themselves. Their identity wasn’t defined by what they HAD or DID but WHO THEY WERE.

4. A Future We Can Control

Bruno reminds Mirabel…

“You can’t HURRY the future.”

As they peer into his vision, they see it CHANGING…it is UNDECIDED. 

That’s because we have the POWER to control the future with our beliefs, intentions and actions. 

There will be always challenges along the way but as Viktor Frankl stated…

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, the last of human freedoms-to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

There are SO many lessons in this beautiful film…how do YOU see the FUTURE?

Today I’m reminded of all of my pitfalls above…and challenge myself to CONTROL my own FUTURE.