Back to Article index To print this page, click on the Print icon in your browser.   All This From One Little Mouse   I had the pleasure of spending five days in the magical kingdom of Disney in Orlando recently. For anyone who's been there recently, you know it's a kingdom, a city within a city. There are now four major theme parks, three water parks AND downtown Disney where there is shopping, dining, dancing and almost anything else you can imagine.   The Disney property is expansive. I don't know how big it actually is. What I do know is, as a city, everything runs perfectly. The infrastructure is in place and all services are performed without Disney guests being aware there is anybody behind the scenes making sure their experience is perfect.   While we were there, we enjoyed everything Disney has to offer. I was constantly aware of just how much has been created in this kingdom for the benefit of guests. The creativity is awesome. The diversity of goods and services is impressive. The customer service is the benchmark for most of the rest of the world.   This seems like a different topic from my usual column. It's not, really. Bottom line to all of this is everything that's part of the Disney empire now sprang from one little mouse! Steamboat Willie, Disney's first Mickey Mouse cartoon, was the beginning. . . . and Disney had to go to over 400 sources before he found someone who believed in his ideas enough to finance his dreams. He didn't stop. He kept moving forward until he'd given the world Disneyland. He kept going, moving closer and closer to his dreams. Even after his death, the Disney companies continue to bring to life dreams Walt Disney held in his mind.   In neuro-linguistic programming there is a theory stating if one person can do something, so can others. What was it about Disney that made him successful? What makes any great, creative person successful? What makes them different from you or me?   A large part of success comes from having a dream you're committed to. Disney's dream was not squelched by over 400 people refusing to finance him. He believed in his dream. More, he believed in himself! He probably heard "No!" more than the rest of us. Disney's dream was alive in him every day.   We've done many workshops on rediscovering (and living) dreams. Too often, people in the room have difficulty even remembering their dreams. They've been told "No!" so many times they stopped sharing and, eventually, forgot their dreams altogether. They've been ridiculed and laughed at for dreaming what never even entered other people's minds. Maybe only one person told them their dream was impossible and they believed it. The tragedy is what's lost: The creativity, inventiveness and belief in what's possible for you, for me and for all of us. Walt Disney overcame it all and so can you.   So what's your dream? Don't hold back - it's only you, me and the words on this page right now. What have you buried in a dark corner somewhere? What is it you really want in your life? What dream have you been carrying in your back pocket? What are you afraid to bring to light after hearing how silly or impossible it is?   Nothing is impossible! Start now. Here's a plan (or strategy) for living your dreams: 1. Write it down. Whether you use a journal, a legal pad or a scrap of paper, commit your dream to writing. Writing brings it back to life for you and makes your dreams and thoughts more real.   2. What do you need? What's missing for you in your life right now to make this dream a reality? Begin making a list of what you need. No matter how crazy it sounds, if you think it's a need, include it in your list.   3. What resources do you have available to you now? These could be your personal strengths and resources or something outside of you. Doesn't matter which, just begin a list of resources already available.   4. Ask for help. This can come in the form of a brain-storming session with somebody you trust (a friend, colleague, mentor, coach.) Only talk to people who are supportive of you. We've all experienced people in our lives who are negative or who'll tell us why what we want to do won't work. These ARE NOT the people to talk to. Look for people who are willing to listen to you and hear what you have to say.   5. Take some action. Simple as this might sound, it is one of the places people get stuck. It almost doesn't matter what the action is as long as you do something. Break down the steps into small pieces so you can take actions daily. You don't have to reach your dream quickly – it would be really nice – it's just not realistic.   Trust your heart and your intuition. You know your dream.   Walt Disney said, "If you can dream it, you can do it!" Imagine your life when you are living your dream!     © Copyright October, 1998. Laura Hess, MCC 702.252.3657