January 2016 – Page 2 – Disney Leadership Keynote Speaker

There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow

writer sitting on chair — Took this 10 minutes ago.

There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow…

That line from Disney’s Carousel of Progress just popped into my head as i begin to write this morning’s five blog posts.

Awoke 70 minutes ago (at 4am) with eight hours of sleep. On my second cup of hot water and have finished the normal reading and meditating/praying that clears the runway for writing.

Today’s theme will revolve around hopeful aging.

Living in a senior facility with daily trips to the adjacent nursing home has overwhelmed my thinking.

Is there a point in the aging process where the obstacles become too great to overcome?

Does there exist a valid and acceptable line we can cross where a lifetime of hope and faith crumble away?

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This website is about our mental attitude. To leave this site to read today’s post on my physical health website, click here.

Original Walt Disney World hire date 1982

Orlando Sanford airport — Walking from parking lot.

Waking up in Allentown this morning, October 17 is a privilege. And knowing what i write right now will post on January 25 is a cool way to experience a milestone moment several times over.

On January 25, 1982 my life path began to change even though I had no clue.

Arriving in Orlando (from Pennsylvania) on January 24, 1982, my first day at Walt Disney World was the very next day and it was called Disney Traditions. Otherwise known as new employee orientation.

Knowing that i can now (since retiring from Disney) work from anywhere is also a milestone.

Writing is a cool way to simultaneously live in multiple moments: the past, present, and future.

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This website is about our mental attitude. To leave this site to read today’s post on my physical health website, click here.

Allentown

Quote about farmers — Most of Allentown was once utilized by Farmers.

Packing light is a metaphor for traveling through life. A heavy load is harder to carry.

In a few hours we’ll be in Allentown. Four days to visit and witness Cheryl’s second cousin, Joshua, receive his Eagle Scout award.

Packing light.

Expecting the visit to be glorious.

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This website is about our mental attitude. To leave this site to read today’s post on my physical health website, click here.

He was unassuming in midlife

College Admission logistics seminar — Yesterday, one of the first to arrive.

He was unassuming in midlife. Arriving early, i introduced myself but never mentioned i am a speaker too.

He was much better than i had expected. Shame on me for stereotyping.

His energy, enthusiasm, stage presence, and subject matter expertise was exceptional. When i had asked how many times he had given this presentation, he said it was over 2,000.

He was polished.

And then something unexpected happened, and as a speaker with no influence, i watched helplessly from the last row. The audience’s attention slowly started unraveling after an hour. We still had 45 minutes to go. It got worse.

Not once in the hour and 45 minute speech, for example, was the audience invited to stand up. Not once was the audience invited to do something fun or silly.

Being polished is a double-edged sword.

A room of 300 teens after lunch is a handful – all the way to the finish line.

Insight: i’m thinking deeply about my presentations, especially the second halves.

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This website is about our mental attitude. To leave this site to read today’s post on my physical health website, click here.

We become who we tell ourselves we are

Steve Jobs unveiling the iPhone in 2007 — Steve Jobs was moments away from revealing to the audience that those three are combined on one device – the first iPhone announcement in 2007.

This is why the way we think is critical to whether we live a life spent surviving or live a life spent thriving.

We become who we tell ourselves we are.

It is simple arithmetic.

Our unstoppable thoughts add up to help us or hinder us.

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This website is about our mental attitude. To leave this site to read today’s post on my physical health website, click here.