The Disenchanted Project

Sometimes, the one who feels least special… is actually the most important

I recently rewatched Encanto by Walt Disney Animation Studios.

And this time, it hit different.

Not because of the songs or the visuals…

But because it felt a little too real.



A Quick Context (Even If You Haven’t Watched It)

The story is about a family where everyone has some kind of special power.

Super strength, healing, controlling nature… stuff like that.

Everyone has something that makes them “special” and useful.

Except one girl—Mirabel Madrigal.

She’s the only one without any power.

And you don’t need to watch the movie to understand what that feels like.

Being the only one who doesn’t “stand out.”

Being surrounded by people who seem to have it all together.

Trying your best… but still feeling like it’s not enough.

Yeah. That feeling.



When “Being Special” Starts Feeling Like a Burden

At the center of the family is the grandmother, Alma Madrigal.

She holds everything together.

But she also expects everything to be… perfect.

Because to her, the family’s “special abilities” aren’t just gifts—they’re responsibilities.

So slowly, without anyone realizing it, things start changing.

The gifts don’t feel like gifts anymore.

They feel like pressure.

One person is strong… but feels like she can never be weak
One looks perfect… but feels trapped in that image
One is misunderstood… so he just disappears from everyone’s life
And Mirabel?
She feels like she doesn’t even belong in her own family.



The One Who Didn’t Stand Out… But Meant the Most

There’s something small, but powerful, that I noticed this time.

The name Mirabel literally means “wonderful.”

And I love that.

Because the only person in the family without powers…

is the one named wonderful.

It quietly says something we often forget:

Just because someone doesn’t stand out like others…

doesn’t mean they aren’t special.

Sometimes, the world just doesn’t notice the right things.



The Breaking Point

As the story goes on, things start falling apart.

Not suddenly… but slowly.

Like how things do in real life.

Small cracks.

Unsaid feelings.

Ignored emotions.

And then one day—it all comes out.

There’s an argument.

Everything breaks.

And for a moment, it looks like she (Mirabel) is the problem.

But she wasn’t.

The real problem was something deeper:

Everyone was trying so hard to be perfect…

that no one was being real.



The One Who Had Nothing… Saw Everything

Here’s the part that really got me.

Mirabel had no powers.

Nothing “special.”

But she was the only one who actually saw people.

She noticed when someone was tired.

When someone was pretending.

When someone was hurting but smiling.

And that’s what made the difference.

Not strength.

Not talent.

Not perfection.

Just… understanding.



What This Actually Means in Real Life

You don’t need to have watched the movie to relate to this.

Because we do this all the time.

We look at people and judge them by:

What they’ve achieved

What they’re good at

How “perfect” their life looks

And we do the same to ourselves.

We think: “I’ll be enough when I succeed.”

“I’ll be valued when I prove something.”

But honestly?

That’s not how it works.



The Truth We Don’t Talk About Enough

You can be strong and still be tired.

You can look perfect and still feel stuck.

You can be surrounded by people and still feel alone.

And sometimes…

The person who feels the least special

is the one who understands everything the most.



So What’s the Real Lesson?

It’s simple.

You don’t need to be perfect to matter.

You don’t need some “special ability” to be valuable.

And you don’t have to prove anything to belong.

Because at the end of the day—

It’s not about what you can do.

It’s about who you are.

How you treat people.

How you understand them.

How real you are when things aren’t perfect.



Final Thought

The family in the story thought their powers made them special.

But in the end…

What brought everything back together wasn’t magic.

It was honesty.

It was understanding.

It was love without conditions.

And maybe that’s something we all need to hear:

You don’t need to have it all figured out.

You don’t need to be perfect.

You just need to be real.

Because sometimes…

being yourself is the most powerful thing you can be. ✨

Image Credit: Walt Disney Animation Studios / Disney — via Pinterest