Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, directed by Tim Burton, is one of the greatest films ever made for both the art film and mainstream movie industries. The book-based film managed to bring across the reality of different kinds of anxiety in children. According to psychologists, child anxiety is characterized by overwhelming fear, worry and apprehension. In the film, some of the children who entered Willy Wonka's confectionery factory exhibited some forms of anxiety. As the story goes, Willy Wonka announced that five golden tickets would be placed inside chocolates made and sold by his company. Whoever found the tickets would be allowed a rare chance to enter and see how the factory works. One of the lucky ticket holders, Violet Beauregard, the competitive and athletic girl, exhibited performance anxiety. Psychological experts say that this type of anxiety is described to be an overwhelming fear of not being on the top or not being first place. Violet Beauregard, which was seen in the movie, was a goal-getter. Trained by her mom, she managed to amass multitudes of trophies which helped her to go for more. Also, there are number of movie montage that showed the idea of performance anxiety which was seen in Violet. It is also noteworthy to include that her mother helped ignite the performance anxiety in Violet as she always push her to her limit. Just like in the movie, many children in real life tend to be overtly conscious of their performance and self-worth. While many children love being in the limelight or being acknowledged as the best in what they do, some actually do get exhausted due to the chronic pressure of having to always ?perform.? Performance anxiety can also be caused by the high and unrealistic realistic standards set by parents like what Mrs. Beauregard did in the movie. These pressures can escalate to a point where it has a negative impact on a child's development, engendering a feeling of tension and anxiety. Another character exhibiting signs of child anxiety was Veruca Salt, the rich girl who always got what she wanted from her doting father. One time, she asked for a horse from a father, and he willingly gave in to would always give into the whims of his daughter. Social anxiety, or the overwhelming care on one's personal status was exhibited in the part where she asked for one of the squirrels working as a nut sorter for Willy Wonka. Although she did not have any use for a trained squirrel, she demanded the purchase of one from her father believing that their social status and wealth entitles them to anything that she desires. This type of anxiety is present in children everywhere. Social groups or cliques in school are formed because its members believe that they are privileged and deserve to be set apart from the rest of the population. Movies can act as a mirror of what happens in real life. In this sense, the movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory sheds some light on a part of a child's life that can threaten their development, educating viewers on the adverse effect of anxiety on children. Whether or not they take these lessons to heart is entirely up to them.
Let's face it - life can be hard. No matter who you are, no matter what your circumstances - bad things can happen to you. Your heart can get broken, a business deal can fall through, or your investments can go up in smoke. (Not that THAT has happened to any of us recently.) You need a boost - a way to hit your own personal reset button and get back in the game. Because that's the secret really - you can't give up. You have to have the hope that things will be better - that tomorrow is another chance to find love, put together a great business deal, or earn even higher returns.
I don't think anyone can do this resetting for you - I think you have to do it for yourself. You have to find some techniques that work for you. Lately I've been using some techniques I borrowed from the love of my life, chocolate.
1.) Try new things (this can be read new books, listen to new music, hang out with new people, wear new clothing styles - you get the picture). Chocolate has been trying new things since it was discovered by the Aztecs. It started as a hot drink; it evolved into a myriad of candy bars, and now is an ingredient in everything from salad dressing to breakfast cereal. Chocolate is definitely a player in the game of life - always pushing the limits - even combining itself with bacon! If chocolate leads such an adventurous life, so can you.
Human nature is such that we get set in our ways, we hate change. This leads to boredom and depression. Mix it up!
2.) Have fun! Chocolate is definitely not uptight. The minute chocolate shows up - everybody smiles. Chocolate can be serious - when you start talking about dark chocolate and the benefits for your heart 'that's serious. But chocolate immediately reverts to fun. I have in my possession at this moment a grinning dark chocolate Easter Bunny. This bunny can save your life (in tiny doses) AND make you laugh. The key is that chocolate doesn't take itself too seriously.
We get blue when we start taking ourselves and the things that happen to us WAY too seriously. We think if we make one mistake, our lives are over. We are so hard on ourselves! The truth is, if you gain 10 pounds, most people don't even notice. But you can sure beat yourself up about it. In the grand scheme of your life - will people remember how skinny you were or how much joy you brought them? Remember how you thought you'd never recover from the loss of your first love? In 20 years, you'll feel the same way about the loss of your invested money. Over time, very few things really matter. Have more fun - THAT is what you'll remember and that is how we very often measure the true quality of our lives.
3.) Live unconditionally. Chocolate gives its all to you. It expects nothing in return. From the fragile cacao tree all the way through harvest and roasting and transport and preparation - chocolate goes through heck just to offer itself to you. And it doesn't care if it winds up as a truffle in a fancy restaurant or a Tootsie Roll in a Halloween bag. It is still chocolate and still received with love and affection by all.
We don't do this - we hold back. We worry about what other people might think of us. We don't go to the beach until we lose weight. We don't say what we really think because someone might not like us. As we age we get worse, we say "No" more to opportunities than we say "Yes." Our world shrinks. Assume you are chocolate and wherever you go, in whatever form you take, people will like you and accept you. Be comfortable being you. Next time you find yourself putting conditions on your life (I'll do it when I'm thinner; when I have a date, when the kids are older - remember - you may never have this chance again.) Chocolate ALWAYS shows up.
4.) Be flexible, but stay true to your nature. Chocolate can be a lot of different things. It can be molded into almost any shape imaginable. It can be paired with many other foods and mixed with many other ingredients. But we all know the taste of chocolate.
We humans can't control much - not other people, not the weather, not the stock market. Very few things are under our direct control. To have any degree of happiness, we have to be flexible, to be willing to compromise, to share. We have to accept change. But, you must be true to yourself. If you sacrifice your core values, you will never be happy. If you hide your true nature and try to be something you are not, you will never be happy. Be like chocolate - be yourself. It won't work in all situations, but when it does, the world will cheer.
I'm not saying these are easy - I think the reverse is true. But if you can force yourself to do them, I guarantee the results will far exceed the effort. And the more you do them, the easier they become. You can take bitter (the cacao bean) and make it sweet (chocolate). In the candy shop of life, you are your own chocolatier. Will you create a masterpiece? Or give up after the first bad batch?
Both Cathy & Denise Ryan are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Cathy has sinced written about articles on various topics from Cure Anxiety, Dental Practice and Arthritis Signs. is a reputable online drug store. From sexual health to a woman's health, sleeping aids to weight loss pills, our online pharmacy offers convenient custom. Cathy's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.
Denise Ryan has sinced written about articles on various topics from Energy Healing, Cars and self improvement and motivation. Denise Ryan, MBA, is a Certified Speaking Professional, a designation of excellence held by less than 10% of all professional speakers. She is a blogger