In 2022, I pulled off the impossible. I planned a trip to Disney World for 15 people, and it was perfect!
This trip was years in the making. My family of 7 wanted to go to Disney World, so we decided it would be more fun to go with others. We invited my brother-in-law and his family, and my wife’s cousin and her family as well. We all knew that this would probably be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and we wanted to take in as much as we possibly could.
Our goal was to visit all 4 theme parks. After a lot of research (and more than a few family discussions), I decided on 2 days at Magic Kingdom and 1 day at each of the other 3 parks, plus a rest day in between. We debated staying off-property and driving in each day, but with 15 people, it became clear that staying at Disney All-Star Movie Resort would be the most convenient option. A good friend, who is also a Disney travel agent, helped make it all possible.
Now, I’ll be honest — planning for a group this size could have been overwhelming. With all the decisions, opinions, and options, it would have been easy to stress out. But instead of focusing on the negative, I chose to focus on the possibilities.
I began planting optimistic seeds early:
- “This trip will be amazing, no matter what we are able or not able to do.”
- “The best part will be spending it together in the happiest place on earth.”
- “Everyone will get to do at least one thing they really want to do.”
Those little reminders shaped our perspective. They set the expectation that this trip wasn’t about cramming in every ride or show, but about experiencing it together. And it worked.
One of our favorite memories was going on rides as a group of 15 and hearing the Disney employees cheerfully call out, “Group of 15!” as they let us in. That joy of doing it all together — that’s what made it perfect.
The trip wasn’t “perfect” because everything went smoothly. It was perfect because of the mindset we carried into it.
So let me ask: Who really controls your perspective? Celebrities? Politicians? Family? Friends? They may influence us, but in the end, we control our own minds. And our inner voice can make or break our experience of life.
I came across a simple but striking thought that ties directly into this:
Laziness kills ambition.
Anger kills wisdom.
Fear kills dreams.
Jealousy kills peace.
Read left to right, it’s a warning — a reminder of how quickly negative emotions can empty us out. But read right to left, and something shifts:
Ambition kills laziness — It fuels purpose.
Wisdom kills anger — It builds peace.
Dreams kill fear — It inspires hope.
Peace kills jealousy — It creates joy.
It’s the same words, just rearranged — yet the focus moves from what drains us to what fills us. That’s the life we long for, and that’s what I experienced on that Disney trip. When you choose to focus on what fills — joy, connection, gratitude — life feels far from empty.
Here’s the truth: what we feed grows. Feed fear, jealousy, anger, or laziness, and emptiness follows. Feed ambition, wisdom, dreams, and peace, and you’ll find joy, clarity, and purpose.
The choice isn’t always easy, but it’s always in front of us. Left to right, or right to left. Empty, or full.
Reflection Question: Which “right to left” word do you most need to lean into today — ambition, wisdom, dreams, or peace?
Next Step: Write it down, keep it in front of you, and take one small action this week to nurture it.
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