My Favorite Walt Disney Quotes!

I've proclaimed that Walt Disney is my hero and inspiration numerous times. He took a dream that he had and never gave up on it. By doing so, he's created magical places, experiences and mediums of entertainment that impact and influence people of all ages. He's not my hero just because he created Disneyland or makes cute movies. He's my hero because he taught the world that it's okay to have and pursue seemingly impossible dreams and that it's okay to let out your inner child.

He is what I aspire to be: successful, creative, humble, wise and unwilling to "grow up".

So I thought that it would be fun to let you all know what my favorite quotes from Walt Disney are! You've probably heard a few of them before but I think that it's important to be reminded of them every once in a while! Plus, I love any excuse to expose my "Disnerd" side!

1. "All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them."

2. "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island."

3. "You may not realize it at the time, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing for you."

4. "The way to get started is to stop talking and begin doing."

5. "Why worry? If you've done the very best you can, worrying won't make it any better."

6. "When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionably."

7. "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

8. "Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age and dreams are forever."

9. "That's the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget. They don't remember what it's like to be 12 years old."

10. "Happiness is a state of mind."

11. (I saved my favorite quote for last!) "If you can dream it, you can do it!"

I actually have, "If you can dream it, you can do it" above my bed. It's a wonderful thing to wake up to in the morning. It reminds me that my dreams will come true. I just have to make it happen! There's no limit to what people can accomplish, especially with a vivid imagination!

I hope that this brought a smile to your face!

-Chelsea

Unrealistic Expectations

I use my imagination a lot; it's no secret. Actually, it's something that I'm quite proud of. I enjoy seeing what my mind is capable of coming up with and exploring new territory that was previously seen as a limitation. However, I'm wondering if my imagination running wild is getting me into a bit of trouble.

Ever since my husband enlisted in the army, I've been very excited, nervous but still excited, about where our lives were going to end up. Were we going to be sent to Vermont? India? Alaska? Whether or not any of these options are plausible for the field that he's going into, I'm not really sure. I don't have nearly as much information as I'd like. Therefore, I rely on my thoughts and my thoughts alone, until I'm able to have clear-cut, black and white information and some orders about where we'll be living.

So basically, I've been joking around a lot, saying to my husband, "Just watch. We'll be sent to live in the middle of nowhere." Of course, it's only a joke but part of me still fears that I'll end up in cornfield somewhere, alone and bored out of my mind. I am not saying that living in those conditions is a bad thing. I'm just saying that I'm really shy and introverted, so living in area where not a lot of other people live and doesn't have that much going on, I fear going into a depression and becoming really lonely. However, I have a friend that is a military wife, who says that she made that joke a lot and now she really does live in the middle of nowhere; so she warned me not to jinx myself. So now, I definitely don't say that anymore.

Instead, now I picture myself living on a tropical island in Hawaii or something very similar to it. I'm hoping that if I wish hard enough, I'll end up living in my own little paradise, or Key West would suffice. I started thinking about all of the wonderful activities that I'd be able to do in these places that I could potentially be sent to live in and I got even more excited for my already wonderful future ahead of me. But while I was talking to my little sister, Kelly, about all of the amazing things that we could do if that did end up happening to my husband and I, I started to wonder, what if I'm still sent to the middle of nowhere? What if all of this is just wishful thinking and I do end up alone somewhere?

It scared me because my imagination had already gone crazy just thinking of the wonderful opportunities that would be presented to me if I lived somewhere else that was more exciting than my hometown. So this is the one time that I think that my imagination had finally gotten me into some trouble because I was really sad at the idea that I gotten my hopes up for something that would never happen, which is my own fault but I couldn't help it. It's just human nature to want amazing things so bad that you could taste them.

However, I know that no matter where my husband and I end up, I won't be truly alone because we will have each other and we will have the capability to travel to wherever our hearts desire. Also, within the next few years, we will probably have some little babies running around the house and I'll be able to help them nurture their imaginations as well. That is what is going to be able to keep me going through this long, strenuous process which will lead to my wonderful, perfect, unpredictable life.

"Oh, the places you'll go!"

                                 Disney World is "practically perfect in every way."

Unlocking your imagination can be one of the greatest exercises for your brain. Not only does it get your creative juices flowing, but it allows you to utilize your brain in a variety of fun ways. As one small example, you can create a variety of different worlds and scenarios in your head that, not only have you never been to, but neither has anyone else. For me, it is one of the most relaxing and therapeutic remedies that I can give myself, especially when I'm going through a rough time.

I daydream quite a lot, actually and I find myself venturing off to the Caribbean with Captain Jack Sparrow or searching for treasure aboard sunken ships with Princess Ariel. Sometimes I even end up in the settings of the books that I'm writing at the moment. It all depends but each one is just as enjoyable and freeing as the next one.

 A lot of people that I meet tell me that they wish that they could be a writer like me because they would have so much fun with it. They wish that they could tap into their brains and pull out the creativity that they feel is stuck there and just roll with it. It's easier than many people would think. You just have to let go and let your mind work it's magic. I encourage it with people because writing and exploring my imagination has opened my eyes to millions of things that I had never previously considered.

Now, I consider myself the female embodiment of Peter Pan and I legitimately mean that. I live with that same youthful spirit inside of me, refusing to let go of my energetic inner child. I live for silly moments and belly laughter. Life is too short to be serious or pretend that adults don't have a ton of fun left inside of them.

I think that we can all learn a little something from a trip to Neverland, a place where nothing is impossible and strange things are normal, a place where a little of bit of faith, trust and pixie dust can make everyone in the world fly. I think that people get a little too serious about life and they forget the wonderful things that exist in fantasy worlds or even their own imaginations. For me, I make sure that I find time to get my necessary dose of Disney World and things get better. This is not to say that you should never be serious or that serious people are boring. I just want to encourage people to express themselves in a creative outlet and explore unfamiliar territory in their minds.

Let's call your imagination "Neverland" and remember your childhood, when you used to build forts with your siblings and pretend to be pirates in the living room. "Those were the days" you would probably say, whereas I would say, "I think I'll build a fort today," or, "Even when I'm 40 years old, I'll still build forts with my husband." Your adventures never have to stop and once they start over, they don't have to end again.

Spieling Peter Pan, otherwise known as Andrew Ducote, is one of my personal heroes. He played Peter Pan at Disneyland in California for a few years and was (and still is) the true Peter Pan. (Just watch some of his YouTube videos and you'll know what I'm talking about. They're quite comical.) In one of my favorite Spieling videos, he comes up with a new motto where he says, "Keep adventuring and stay not a grown up."

Although it's not grammatically correct, it may be the best advice that has ever been given to anyone. You don't have to grow up just because you age and you should still be in touch with the person inside of you who isn't embarrassed to be silly or even a little bit crazy sometimes. It's what makes life fun, makes it worthwhile.

Growing up is overrated and many people will tell you that. In fact, in my wedding vows I promised my husband that we will grow older together but we'll never grow up and I meant that. I want us to never forget the young, fun, Disney couple that we were when we fell in love. And we won't.

Dr. Seuss has a book entitled, Oh, the Places You'll Go! which was actually the inspiration for this blog. So the next time that you're feeling stressed or are having a bad day, you could listen to Dr. Seuss and spend some time in your imagination and discover new worlds or you could fly with Peter Pan to Neverland and learn to be a kid again. The choice is yours. Just remember: "Keep adventuring and stay not a grown up!"