When my 7th grade teacher asked us to write a paper about our favorite American Hero, I passed right through Abraham Lincoln, Amelia Earhart, Martin Luther King, to Walt Disney. After all, he brought families together, revolutionized animation, and helped advance animatronics. Perhaps it was inspired because my Dad had just gifted my best friend and I with a trip to Disneyland. We stayed at the Disneyland hotel, got up at the “crap” of dawn, his phrase, and every day we were among the first people in the park. We lost all track of time and our three days lasted forever.
Disney was an unusual adult; someone filled with hope, fun, and adventure, and healthfully connected to his inner child. He said “I do not make films primarily for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether he be six or sixty. Call the child innocence. The worst of us is not without innocence, although buried deeply it might be. In my work, I try to reach and speak to that innocence, showing it the fun and joy of living; showing it that laughter is healthy; showing it that the human species, although happily ridiculous sometimes, is still reaching for the stars."
When was the last time you reached for Stars? On the off chance you cannot readily visit the Magic Kingdom, why not take some time to recharge that magical inner child within. Forgotten how? Here are some suggestions:
~ Spend time in nature. Whether you go for a walk, visit an Aquarium, buy some flowers, climb a nearby mountain or hang out at a Dog park, there is something restoring and rejuvenating in fresh air, color and a new perspective. ~Live on instinct and notice what happens. Our ancestors love to give us signs when we are more accessible, as they have as much of our undivided attention in nature as they can get.
~ Do something unusual and out of your ordinary. Take a dance or martial arts class, make a brand new recipe, do something unexpected for someone you love, call an old friend, try Bowling is generally a great idea. Few people I know are really good bowlers, so it seems to even the playing field.
~ Create a “Ta Da” Sheet. Celebrate all that is working in your life. You can use crayons, pencils, markers, glue, sparkles, magazine cut-outs, pictures, objects around the house. Celebrate you, what you are proud of, who you love, what IS working in your life. No one needs to see it, just you.
~ Take a situation in your life you really want to happen and write your desires in a “once upon a time” version. For the parts you are unclear about, pull Tarot or Oracle cards to enhance the story. Dream big. This is your life, anything can happen, make it your hero’s story.
~ Pick a time in your life and go back. Go through old photos, a yearbook, a wedding album, remind yourself of all that happened at that time in your life. You can either put the items in an album or just spend some time remembering. If you want, give some of the photos and items a special place where you can remind yourself of who you have been.
Most of all, get lost. Forget about the crazy “to do lists”. There will always be more to do and not enough time. Go out in the world. Shop, hang out at a coffee shop, get a kazoo, go to a bookstore, a movie, watch people, take a class, go to an observatory or museum and learn something new.
Hopefully, these ideas will be inspirational and fun. Practicing being detached from your normal and expected is a great way to be soul-centered.
FYI, you know that paper in 7th grade, I got an “F”. Clearly, my teacher did not feel Walt Disney was as magical as I did.
Guess I should have suggested my teacher “get lost”.;-)
