A Personal Disney Outlook

"Somehow I can't believe there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secret of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C's. They are Curiosity, Confidence, Courage, and Constancy and the greatest of these is Confidence. When you believe a thing, believe it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably." - Walt Disney

The paragraph listed above is one of my favorite quotes given by Mr. Walt Disney. I decided to share and write about it this week because 1. I think it's deep and meaningful, and 2. It's a quote that has helped others find their way, and I am hoping to be inspired to greatness by it as well.. As most people know, the way to achieve goals is by following a belief system - for me (and many others) that belief system is in God. I also think, though, that action needs to be put along with belief, and the four verbs above cannot be beaten when it comes to success.

For example, in studying Walt Disney and his many ventures, I know that he had the curiosity to study and surround himself with intelligent people. By doing that, he was able to be one of the first to mix animation and actors in films (the Alice shorts), came up with the video cameras still used in animation today (the multi plane camera - used to add depth to films - first used in Snow White), and created some of the worlds most loved cartoon characters (Mickey Mouse anyone?). At the time Walt Disney was making his dream a reality, our nation was going through the Depression and war. Even with the difficult circumstances, he had the courage to continue, persevere, and turn the hard times into something amazing (take a look at Bambi, which was released after the start of WWII).

Later on, Walt Disney continued his dream by creating Disneyland - a place for the whole family, a place where dreams come true, and the stresses of the world melt away. He knew, deep down, that the venture would be a success even though he was risking everything financially. When Disneyland officially opened, he was proven right: All the risk was worth it! Since its opening, the Disneyland Resort (and later on, Disney World) has seen millions upon millions of happy visitors, and is one of the worlds top destinations with parks popping up all over.

The biggest lesson I take from all of this, is that Walt Disney had the confidence in himself, his team, and his family to make a world wide franchise and success. He believed in himself, and never looked back. If this worked for the Disney empire, I believe it can work for me. My plan is to find out what will work best for me and my family, to keep us strong and in tact, pursue it, and look back with no regrets.