originally thought once respect is earned, and that there are allies even in the most hostile environments. I was only around four when I first watched it, but I will never forget the lessons in confidence and respect this movie embodied.

The most direct and important lesson we can draw from this movie is that you should never let anyone tie you up, break you, or mold you into something you’re not. Spirit did not conform to anyone; even as a colt, he carved his own path and did his own thing. In this post, we will be going over some major themes and learning how to embody them for ourselves.

Spoiler Warning! This post will spoil the movie for you. So, go watch it and come back, or stay, saddle up, and let's get going!

Lesson 1: Your Spirit Cannot Be Tamed

Spirit was born in a herd of wild horses where his mother is the head mare. While growing up, he always went his own way, even if the other adults in the herd weren't fully on board with his antics. As he grew up, he became the head stallion, protecting the herd and siring foals. While protecting the herd, he ends up getting captured by cavalrymen and taken to a US fort. He's immediately taken to be initiated—cutting his mane and tail, shoeing him, and then trying to brand him. The whole time, Spirit fought back, refusing to be tamed, and he ended up not getting branded but was tossed into the riding pen.

Once in the pen, rider after rider got on and was then tossed off until the Colonel had him tied up for three days without food or water. The Colonel then gets on Spirit and rides him hard, and it seems like he has him tamed until Spirit realizes he has a bit more left in him. He takes the reins from the Colonel, breaks the saddle, and flings him over his neck so that they are eye to eye. He then throws him as hard and as far as he could out of the riding pen, and all the other horses start cheering.

After the fort scene, he gets captured again, but this time by the Lakota tribe, where Little Creek tries to tame him. For what seems like weeks, he tries to ride him until he comes to the realization that no one should ever ride Spirit. He deserves to be free and back with his herd.

Throughout the movie, Spirit is visited by a bald eagle that started the whole movie by racing him across the rolling hills. The eagle symbolizes Spirit’s freedom and his ability to chase his dreams and to live the life he chose. The eagle appears sad every time it sees him suffering or going against his best interests. It's like a guide to Spirit and a best friend who just wants to see him flourish and thrive.

It is so important and powerful when we are able to behave in a way that is authentic to ourselves. When we are able to be who we truly are—before the world tells us who we are and our part in the "machine" of modern-day society—we are able to have fulfilling lives. Although this is a children's movie, it effectively demonstrates the importance of our thoughts, opinions, ideas, and decisions, especially when we are faced with the choice between compliance and our own path.

Lesson 2: Your Tribe Sees Your True Self

Little Creek is the first human to fully respect Spirit, and as I mentioned earlier, he gave up on trying to tame him. He took the time to actually get to know Spirit and what kind of horse he is. Upon recognizing this, he let him go to be free, but all hell broke loose in the Lakota settlement. The Colonel rushes their camp, burning down their teepees, killing tribe members, and chasing Little Creek—who is riding Rain—to the river.

In that moment, Spirit is able to catch up and save their lives just as the Colonel is about to shoot Little Creek. It truly sets in that there’s more to Spirit than meets the eye, as he just saved their lives.

Now, Rain is introduced after Spirit escapes the fort and frees all the horses. She immediately caught Spirit’s eye and had him kind of love-struck. For her, it was just another day. Little Creek had let Spirit out of their round pen with Rain to keep him nearby and also to let him wander. She showed him her world, the people, and different places around the settlement. While doing so, she began to understand and develop some feelings for Spirit. This led to Spirit not running off home as soon as Little Creek let him free, and to trying to convince Rain to go with him instead. This is what ultimately leads to Spirit chasing Rain and saving Little Creek. He followed Rain down the river and tried to save her before the waterfall, but they both went over. This is when we find out that Rain got shot and just how much Spirit cared for her.

He ends up getting captured again and taken to a place where they are building a railroad and need the horses to drag a train over the mountain. During this ordeal, we see Spirit again get free and end up starting a forest fire, in which he gets trapped. Thankfully, Little Creek had left earlier to find Spirit and freed him from the log he got caught on.

Just like in last week's post, we can see just how critical it is to have a soul tribe, people we can rely on. Our love for ourselves may be strong, but when we have helping hands and people to sympathize and work with, it becomes easier to deal with more difficult situations. Having someone, or a few people, in our corner allows us to have assistance where we would normally have to go it alone. This provides a sense of community, connection, and help that is so much closer than when we were alone.

Lesson 3: Your Story Doesn't Have to Be Written for You

Throughout the whole movie, Spirit is taken to several different places, and each place has other horses. Most of these horses are compliant and do as they are told, even if it isn’t typical "horse stuff." This was all strange to Spirit, and he rejected it, knowing that his place was not amongst humans. In the cavalry fort, the horses looked to him as a role model, even cheering him on as he defied the Colonel and the other soldiers. He set them free at the end of his stay, with Little Creek’s help.

Even in the Lakota tribe, the horses did what was asked of them, but Spirit still kept to himself. When he was taken to the railroad, he was with some of the horses from the Lakota tribe, and they looked to him for guidance. He freed all of them and, in doing so, ended up burning down the forest because he realized the railroad was heading to his homeland and he had to stop it.

Spirit was a leader not only to his own herd but also to all the horses he came in contact with during his journey back home. He forged his own path, made his own decisions, and took care of business at all costs. He did not let someone else write his story or let them ultimately tell him what he could and could not do. He held his own pen, so to speak, filled his own book, and never lost himself along the way.

It’s okay to go against the grain and to "fight the current," especially if what you’re fighting for is your own freedom, peace, and self. Ultimately, we are all individuals who have different needs, and in order to get those met, we have to sometimes do the unconventional and carve out our own path.

Conclusion: Be the Hero of Your Own Story

You are the Spirit of your own story. You have the ability to write your own narrative, follow your own path, find your own tribe, commit to your inner freedom, and become more authentically yourself.

Life isn’t just about the struggles; it’s about how you get through them and prosper in spite of the difficulties. You are the main character of your own life. Take the reins, go wild, and live your truth. You were born to be free!

With that, our adventure for today comes to an end.

My goal is simply to be a vessel, sharing the lessons and insights from my own path in the hopes that they may serve as a guide on your own. If this message found you at just the right time and resonated with you, I consider our connection a profound success. Whether our paths cross just this once or intertwine beautifully, know that I am here as a comrade and a friend on this journey.

I truly hope you feel seen, supported, and hopeful as you continue on your way. You are welcome to share your thoughts in the comments below or reach out directly to me. If you feel called to support this work and its mission, you can find the donation page linked in the site's footer. I look forward to connecting with you on this magnificent adventure.

With Love and Light,

Jamelah Luckett

Link to Companion YouTube Video