Have you seen the movie “The Greatest Showman” yet? This lovely musical has some toe-tapping moments as well as some hard-hitting lessons about embracing who you are and leading with your strengths.

The movie follows the life of P.T. Barnum (of Barnum & Bailey Circus fame) through various twists and turns. For me, one of the most impactful moments in the movie is the song “This Is Me!” sung by Lettie Lutz, played by the fabulous Keala Settle.

As someone who has struggled with self-confidence and finding my footing in this world, I can relate to Lettie’s song. We ask ourselves “Who am I?” Who am I to have the dreams and goals that I have? What makes me believe that I am so able to do what makes me special. Who am I?

Well, here’s your sign to embrace yourself and say “This is Me!”

When I first heard this song, I’ll be honest, I cried. Seeing Lettie’s character rise from being hidden and unseen to stepping out and embracing herself is one of the greatest character arcs in the movie. And, I identified with that because my default mode has been that of hiding away. The lyrics are so rich with lessons. I want to share them here and reflect a bit:

“I’m not a stranger to the dark. Hide away, they say, ’cause we don’t want your broken parts.”

Lettie is singing here about her story. Not being a stranger to darkness and living her life in a place where she accepts that she is broken and undeserving of light. Often when we feel disconnected from ourselves, we allow others to determine our worthiness. We allow others to say who we are and whether or not we are whole. And the sad thing is, we accept this as fact and incorporate this into our perceptions of ourselves.

“I’ve learned to be ashamed of all my scars. Run away, they say.
No one’ll love you as you are.”

What are scars? They are the reminders of your journey. They are the memories of lessons. The times that you tried, and got back up. They are your proof of resilience. Evidence of the times you tried something new or something you were learning and survived. Are you ashamed of your scars? Why? They’re testaments to your journey, to your growth, and to your light.

“But I won’t let them break me down to dust. I know that there’s a place for us…For we are glorious.”

This moment for Lettie is where she starts to realize that she is valuable. She’s glorious. She has a place and she knows it exists for others. She’s not going to let people tear her down and tell her story for her. She’s going to create a place in the world and own it. That realization for her is so powerful. She’s the author of her own story and she’s going to make it a great one.

“When the sharpest words want to cut me down, I’m going to send a flood and drown them out.”

In this lyric, she’s committing to her plan. She’s saying when people tell me I’m nothing, I am going to send a flood of positivity. I am going to send a wave over those negative thoughts (even from myself) and drown them out. I am committing to make my thoughts positive and more powerful than any haters in my life that want me to feel “less than” who I am.

“I am brave, I am bruised. I am who I’m meant to be, this is me.”

She recognizes her bravery here. She recognizes her scars. She’s no longer ashamed of them. She’s putting them out there saying “I’ve tried and I’m bruised but this is who I am!” Unapologetically, unshaken, unashamed.

“Look out ’cause here I come. And I’m marching on to the beat I drum.
I’m not scared to be seen. I make no apologies, this is me.”

She’s warning the world here. Look out b*tches! Here I come! I’ve harnessed my power. I’m making my own rules. I am here and I am not apologizing for who I am and what I want anymore.

At this point in the song, others start to join in.

“Another round of bullets hits my skin. Well, fire away ’cause today, I won’t let the shame sink in.”

The bullets hit skin but they don’t penetrate it. The song is telling the doubters to keep firing because I am no longer affected by those jabs at my confidence. I have back up and I am stronger now than ever.

“We are bursting through the barricades and reaching for the sun. We are warriors. Yeah, that’s what we’ve become.”

Breaking through barriers to success. Stepping out of my comfort zone in the darkness and reaching for the light. Reaching for hope. Knowing that I aspire to be bigger than life and better in myself. She’s reframing here to say that the battles she’s engaged in make her a warrior. She’s almost thanking the nay-sayers for helping her to struggle and to become more battle-hardened. Her scars are nothing to be ashamed of but something to be applauded. She’s a warrior, a fighter, and she’s not backing down now.

“And I know that I deserve your love. There’s nothing I’m not worthy of.”

She deserves love from others and herself. She’s worthy of everything. She’s beautiful and talented and enlightened. She understands it’s more of an issue with others not feeling she’s deserving of their praise and adoration. All it takes is one person to believe in you and help you see that belief in yourself. All it takes is one person to help you break through.

So what do you think? Do you agree with what I put here? Do you have more thoughts? Please feel free to leave a comment below. I’d love to discuss it with you more!

So hard-hitting question time… Do you need help becoming your own cheerleader? Can you become your biggest advocate and supporter? You can, and I can help. As a coach, my goal is to help you find your inner strength and make it commonplace in your life. I also commit to helping my clients find ways to harness that intention and equip them with tools to continue their journey.

Contact me today to set up a coaching session! The first one’s free! Let’s change your life. It’s time you stepped up and embraced your inner power. What’s stopping you? How can I help?