Getting Unstuck: How Walt Disney Overcame Obstacles on Disneyland’s Opening Day
Many Disney fans are familiar with the chaotic opening day of Disneyland, known as Black Sunday. From the overwhelming crowds to the gas leak in Fantasyland, and the still-wet asphalt on Main Street U.S.A., the stories of that day are…
Walt Disney’s Guide to Lifelong Learning: Lessons Beyond the Classroom
As the new school year approaches, we often think about traditional education—textbooks, classrooms, and degrees. But what if we took a lesson from someone whose educational journey defied convention? Walt Disney, one of the greatest storytellers and innovators of our…
Freeing Yourself from Fear: A Four-Step Approach to Empowerment (Part 2)
Welcome back to our journey of conquering fear! In Part 1, we uncovered the essential first steps: embracing fear and transforming your starting point. This week, we’re diving deeper into the next critical steps: Investigate Your Inner Dialogue and harness The Power of “It’s…
Freeing Yourself from Fear: A Four-Step Approach
Have you ever felt your heart race at the thought of pursuing a big idea, a lofty goal, or a dream that seems just out of reach? You’re not alone. Imagine standing on the precipice of a new adventure, feeling…
Lunch Worthy
Several years ago, I had a colleague in higher education, Carol, who had an interesting story about changing her major back when she was a student in college. Changing her major wasn’t the interesting part; nearly 70 percent of all…
Happy Birthday, Disneyland!
Today, July 17, marks Disneyland’s 69th birthday. Happy Birthday! Reflecting on nearly seven decades of joy, happiness, and magic, it’s astonishing to recall that many, including Walt’s own wife and brother, doubted the park’s success. They believed it would be…
Christmas in July
I’m going to shift seasons this week. With mid-July fast approaching, we are already halfway through the summer of 2024. Memorial Day and the Fourth of July are now behind us, and some of you are even home from this…
What’s in a Name?
I’ve taken a page out of Dale Carnegie’s classic book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, by loving to learn people’s names, remember their names, and calling them by name in conversations. When I taught my first college class in…
America the Beautiful
I picked up Disney’s Land by Richard Snow again this summer, and on my second reading, a story really stood out for me. When writing about the twenty-thousand-plus American amusement parks that preceded Disneyland’s opening in 1955, Snow shares an…
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AN AMERICAN?
Following up on last week’s article on The American Adventure, I want to continue that theme while we sit in the patriotic season between Memorial Day and the 4th of July. This week, let’s explore when it means for each…