During the trip to return Te Fiti’s heart, Maui and Moana encounter many monsters: walking (and battling) coconuts, a gigantic crab, and a fearsome lava creature all test their resolve.

Maui, who wasn’t keen to go on this adventure in the first place, is often unhelpful and would rather just go his own way.  

Occasionally he can be a bit and rude and condescending to Moana.  

He doesn’t understood why what he did was so wrong.  

In spite of this, Moana doesn’t veer from her course.  

She doesn’t get distracted.  

She doesn’t give up.  (She almost does at one point, but she doesn’t!)  

She just keeps going on her way, being firm with Maui when he’s acting like a cranky child, but not letting his crankiness deter her.

The spouse of an addict can often feel the similar to Moana.  

She may have goals for herself and her family for her own personal development, hobbies, and education, or things for her family like vacations, how the house or yard should be kept.

Though her husband is not hunky demi-gods with great hair, just a plain old human, his behavior can often distract her from her goals.  

Her energy can turn from her own goals and dreams to him; wondering what can she do to get him to stop, worrying if he’s acting out, worrying if he’s lying, wondering if his behavior is affecting the children, and a myriad of other things.  

This is what brings the feelings of hopelessness and powerlessness.  

When you focus on things you can not change, it’s depressing.  

Focusing on your own goals and your own path despite how others around you are behaving, like Moana did, can bring a power back into your life that you may have not felt in a while.

Find Part 1 here and Part 3 here.