jungle jeff

Walt Disney was inspired. No one was more passionate about his vision for Family Entertainment than he was.

And when Walt Disney died in 1966, his brother, Roy O. Disney, had a big decision to make.

Walt Disney and his associates purchased 43-square miles of virgin swamp, pine forest and oak hammock in central Florida. They bought it cheap. Roy Disney could sell it cheap, and just get out of the deal. I mean, the great visionary is gone and the project hadn’t yet begun.

We can all be thankful Roy chose to finish his brother’s vision for EPCOT. Some are sad and say Walt Disney never got to see his vision come to life. Disney fanatics like me say, he saw his vision so clearly, that others could see it and couldn’t help but make it a reality.

A wonderful place where fantasy is real, and reality is fantastic. Like last night when my son and I stopped by the Magic Kingdom, on the way home from the Apple Store, for a Dole Whip and a parade, the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Trust You Instinct

This excerpt is from a Speakers and Panelist LinkedIn Group Member, Stephen J Stulic. Relevant and powerful:

“Seek and Welcome Opportunities That Move You Closer To Realizing Your Full Potential.

Be ready when opportunity knocks. And sometimes, by taking strategic advantage of several small opportunities, you may move closer to realizing your full potential more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along.

Therefore, do not be content to wait for a single opportunity to be all that you want it to be; they come in all shapes and sizes and quite often come disguised as something you would not normally expect.

A person truly centered in understanding what he wants will make more opportunities than he finds.

So, when any opportunity to become more is presented to you, be prepared to make the most of it and take action.

Follow your instincts; there is nothing more discouraging than waiting back on your heels as an opportunity ceases to be one.”

Annual Passes for 26 Years

Who’s the biggest Disney fan you know?

Maybe it’s yourself.  Maybe a neighbor.  Or a colleague, friend or family member.

For me, it’s me. My younger sister is right up there too.  Maybe it was growing up in small town America watching Walt Disney on Sunday nights in our living room.

Or maybe it was listening to the Disney vinyl albums – the Disney Classic stories, brought to life through the stereo speakers and our own vivid imaginations.

There were no VHS Disney movies.  There were no Disney DVD’s.  No Blue Ray. Only albums and imagination. And Walt Disney, the man, on Sunday nights.

Here are several Orlando Sentinel Links to recent breaking Disney News:

1. 3D Model Shows Fantasyland expansion at Magic Kingdom
2. Pictures of new Fantasyland at Walt Disney World
3. Compare Current with Future Fantasyland
4. Pictures of Fantasyland and Mickey’s Toontown Fair

Walt Disney inspires people every single day.  Some people, like my sister and me, are even inspired daily.

Thought you might enjoy these.  On a scale of 1-10, with ten the biggest, how big of a Disney fan are you?

What Would You Find?

Hey, don’t want to make a big deal, or start some internal swirl of guilt or doubt with anyone, so I won’t dwell on this blog thing from yesterday.

But may I please say one more thing before we move on?  Google a few things and see what you get:

• Your name
• Your Company
• A few key words you use

Blogging will accelerate your search engine optimization. It’s not a silver bullet, but then again, and we all know “There ain’t no silver bullet.”

And as a “put your money where your mouth is” kinda thing, Google any of my blog titles (minus the .com, .net or .org).

Maybe there is a silver bullet.

Or, beginner’s luck.

Blog? Are You Kidding Me?

How’s the health of your competitive advantage?

If it is anything less than excellent, then you may want to consider what I’m about to suggest, and here’s why:

1. Has minimal start up costs
2. Can be done virtually anywhere
3. Can be done virtually any time
4. Can be done alone
5. Progress is easily measured
6. Provides multiple benefits when done regularly

That’s the key message today. Why would anyone avoid a low cost, incredibly flexible way to improve your edge.

You absolutely need an Internet presence. If you tune this out, you’re in big trouble. The same kind of trouble if you ignore a bad health report.

The easiest way to enhance your edge is to blog. If you don’t know how, there are tons of free online “how to” articles.

GoDaddy has 35 million domain names registered.  GoDaddy has seven million customers.

I’m one of them.

Will you be?

Walt Disney was born December 5, 1901.  Yesterday, if Walt Disney was still alive, he would have been 108.

Some people actually live that long.  Walt Disney did not.  Not even close.

Walt Disney’s death on December 15, 1966 shocked the world.

It didn’t shock The Walt Disney World Resort, because construction for Walt Disney World hadn’t begun at the time of Walt Disney’s death.

Walt Disney World, or, EPCOT – Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow – as it was called at the time of Walt Disney’s death, did not open until October 1, 1971.

People can only begin to fantasize about what the World would be like if Walt Disney were still alive.

T-shirts.  We all have a few.  Some of them are part of who we are.  A form of self expression.  They are usually priced right, which is why many people have too many.  Plus, it’s difficult to part with them.

The other day, while driving in Central Florida, a man was wearing a t-shirt that caught my attention.  It read, “Shut Up And Push“.

Instantaneously, this led me to wonder about the slogan and how it applies to business.  This is the way my crazy mind works.

In today’s economic crunch, in addition to doing all the daily things we always do, there are two other line items that demand our attention.  Number one – worry about the future.  Number two -prepare for the future.

If you think about it you will realize, the future is extra work, but only if you focus on it.  Not to mention, the future is hard work, but only if you focus on it.

What I decided I need to do is, “Shut up and push“!

John F. Kennedy said, “The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining”.

Manner of Speaking WordPress blog.  It’s a good one.  Click here to check it out.

If you have no interest in Public Speaking, that’s ok.  May I offer this different perspective for still paying attention to this jungle jeff blog post?

As a Professional Speaker, sometimes a “sports story” is appropriate. There are people however, that will immediately turn off and tune out.  Why?  Well for starters, they’ll say things like:

• “I don’t like sports”.
• “I never played sports”.
• “I don’t watch sports”.
• “I hate sports”.

So let me just say this, when I tell a “sports story”, it’s not about sports, it’s about excellence.  When I blog about public speaking, it’s not about public speaking as much as it is about passion, and the pursuit of excellence – in any endeavor.

That’s why you should pay attention.  “You can observe a lot by watching”. – Yogi Berra

Three things Lee Cockerell told me when I asked his advice on public speaking, in 1999:

1. Be passionate
2. Tell stories
3. Use personal examples

Here’s a fourth tip.  Benchmark.  Click here to do that right now.

Make your day GREAT.  It’s up to you.  Always has been.  Always will be.  Be inspired. Or not.

8 Tips to help you learn better.  Click here.

Who doesn’t want that?

Here’s a bonus tip:

Blog.