Rewriting Reality to Feel Safe

One of the things I love about watching shows with my kids (even now that they’re adults!) is how often these TV shows carry hidden lessons about life.

Take The Owl House created by Dana Terrace and showing on Disney+, for example.

Inside Belos’ Mind

In one powerful scene, Hunter finds himself (through the magic of the show) actually inside the mind of Emperor Belos, the man he looks up to and serves. To Hunter, Belos is more than a leader; he’s a father figure.

Inside Belos’ mind, Hunter witnesses memories that don’t match the story he’s always believed. Instead of accepting that Belos might be lying, Hunter scrambles for explanations: Maybe it’s just theatrics. Maybe he’s remembering wrong.

Who Belos Really Is

To understand Hunter’s reaction, it helps to know who Belos really is.

Belos’ ultimate plan was nothing short of destruction. He intended to wipe out witches and demons during the “Day of Unity” and return to the Human Realm as a celebrated hero. But beneath that, his darker goal was even more disturbing: to steal the Titan’s power and merge with the Boiling Isles itself, ruling as an absolute force.

Why Hunter Reframes the Truth

For Hunter, who had built his loyalty and identity around Belos, facing this reality would have shattered everything. If Belos was lying—especially to him—the foundation of his trust, belonging, and purpose would collapse.

So when he saw the memories, Hunter clung to denial. Reframing them as mistakes or theatrics felt safer than letting in the devastation. Sometimes bending reality feels easier than facing the truth head-on.

The Stories We Hold On To

We do the same thing in our everyday lives. Maybe a friend constantly cancels on us, but we excuse it because “they must be busy.” Or a boss makes promises that never come true, and we convince ourselves “they meant well.”

It’s not that we don’t see the truth. It’s that letting it in might cost us the relationship, our sense of safety, or even how we see ourselves.

So we cling to the story and explain away the cracks.

Why It Matters

Each time we do this, though, we trade truth for comfort.

And the longer we do that, the harder it becomes to trust our own instincts.

We stop listening to the quiet voice inside that’s already telling us the truth.

Looking Inward

Hunter wanted (and likely needed) to believe Belos had a reason for the lie. But sometimes a lie is just a lie.

The real courage isn’t in preserving the story, it’s in asking yourself: Where am I glossing over the truth because it hurts too much to face?

It’s not an easy question.

It may hurt.

But it’s also where your strength grows.

Because when you face what’s real, even if it hurts, you discover that you can still stand. And more than that—you can stand stronger.

A Next Step

Reflections like this often bring up more questions than answers — and that’s a good thing. It means you’re opening to new awareness.

But you don’t have to explore it all on your own.

If you’re ready for a safe space to sort through what this means for you, I’d love to walk alongside you. Let’s talk strategy!