Yesterday I had the great fortune of attending the Disney museum. But I didn’t have to go all the way to Disneyland or Disney World to get there. Lucky for me, the Walt Disney Family museum was in my neighborhood. Just an hour drive away from home, in the Presidio area of San Francisco.
I was initially skeptical. Hmmm…Disney in San Francisco? How Disney could it be? A long time fan of the two parks, I definitely had my doubts.
But I’m happy to report that not only was the museum entertaining, it was INSPIRING!
So what did I get for $20?
Although gone was the fantasy engendered by magical cast members and edible food, there was something well worth the price of admission.
I developed a keen sense that Walt Disney was a man of dreams, dignity and determination. Three D’s I previously didn’t know went with Disney.
Hearing audio recordings of his family life, watching videos and reading historical accounts of his life, I felt the birth of a dream and the fascinating man behind the mouse.
Who was Walt E. Disney?
1. Someone who had supportive parents. Haven’t ever met the guy, I can’t say for sure. But based on the museum, I’d say he was a boy who was lucky to have parents who supported his dream. His family though poor, paid for him to attend classes at an art institute.
2. Passionate about his craft. Disney fell in love with drawing as a kid and continued to draw and create cartoons. He was a cartoonist for his school newspaper and continued to focus on his artistic career throughout his life.
3. Optimistic and positive attitude. There many times in Disney’s career that people tried to take advantage of him. Yet, he kept going because he was positive and optimistic about the future.
4. He learned from his mistakes. At the beginning, Disney made a lot of mistakes. He signed contracts without reading them and trusted people he shouldn’t have. He lost a lot of money by doing so, but being the smart guy he is, quickly learned from his mistakes. To him, a mistake was just a little blimp in his path.
5. Someone who surrounded himself with positive peeps. To be as successful as he was, it would behoove Mr. D to surround himself with supportive people. And he did. He held a party at Disneyland to celebrate his wedding anniversary with friends and family and only those people he liked to be with.
6. He kept going. Disney could have stopped as a cartoonist, or as a film producer. He would have been successful enough by then. But he kept going. He persevered through war, times of uncertainty, and people who betrayed him and then created Disneyland. Now that’s inspiring!
7. He was kind to others. A young actress who worked with Disney said it was a joy to be around him. He never criticized her and was supportive. Former employees said if you saw Disney around the company’s campus, you could go up to him and talk with him about anything. That’s just the kind of guy he was.
8. He never forgot those who helped him. There is a story of how one woman helped him when he was just starting out. He never forgot her and would help support her for the rest of her life. He remembered the people who was there for him and gave back in return.
9. He kept young at heart. Disney had a life-size train right in his backyard. The 1/2 mile route went around his home. I loved seeing the joy in his eyes as he rode around on the train with his family.
I didn’t know Walt Disney, but I wish I did. Something tells me, he’d be a mentor and a hero. Whenever I feel like giving up, I’ll remember Mr. Disney, his vision, and how from an idea he made Disneyland!
What They're Saying About 2inspired
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If you’re new to 2inspired or a loyal reader but missed it, take a tour with me now to see what everyone’s been saying about the blog:
Sophia on Life Lessons from Me Five Years Ago: I can’t tell you how much this helped me.
Trust another Asian to be able to finally understand what it’s like to desperately want approval from the people you love the most. I’ve lived my whole life trying to please my father, even though it’s not possible.
And I just took step 9 myself – I quit a graduate program two months in when I realized I really didn’t want to do it. It was painful and felt ragged at the time, but so necessary.
Lisa on My Grandma’s Hands: That is a very emotive & heartfelt account of your relationship with your grandma. Well done for putting it out there.
Raechel on Sacrifice, Sweat & Sweet Surrender: Great post! If we surrender our dreams and plans, then we may be surprised by things we would never even have thought possible to dream about. As writers we need to base our self-worth on how we feel, not what others think because it can be a hard world out there for us…..
Bridget on The I’m Not Worthy Syndrome: I’m a big Cheryl Richardson fan too. Her book Stand Up for Your Life changed my m.o. and my life has been steadily getting better ever since! More opportunities to do work I love and more money for doing it. I stumbled upon your blog researching Cheryl’s current web presence. I haven’t created my own blog yet, but I will be soon. I also want to inspire others to live their dreams but I come at it from a Feldenkrais, Improv, EFT perspective.
Minnie on Do You Have Balls?: I’m glad you disagree with Terry Fator about luck! I also believe luck plays important roles in our endeavors. The other things (skills, talent, courage) are important too, and are more within our controls. Perhaps luck is the embodiment of “things beyond our control.” That’s why we need to belief, as you pointed out. Not only believing in ourselves but also belief that the things beyond our control will carry us through our endeavors. Anyway… just my random thoughts conceived from your insightful writings.
Like the BALLS picture
Psychology of Success on Fear of Asking for What You Want: My father told me that there are only two answers that a person can give you when you ask a question, “Yes or No.”
He told him that his father told him the same thing. I never forgot that and it made asking for things a lot easier.
Pochp on Fear of Asking for What You want: Very helpful post.
Knowwhatandwhere on The Good, The Bad, The Ugly: Great article and so very true – except for #5 in my particular case. Running your own business is demanding in many ways. But I still believe that there is nothing more exciting than being on this journey – it is a roller-coaster…
Jonalyn on Giving It Up Ain’t So Bad: Hi! i love the blog. i am kinda on the horizons right now. still undecided of things. hope I can sort things out sooner. it’s a nice blog! smile!
Thanks guys for all of the awesome comments! Keep it coming. I’d love to get a discussion going here for all of you inspiring seekers and successful dreamers out there. Thanks for the love guys!!