There's a lot of hype around Walt Disney World being The Happiest Place on Earth. Is it true? Happiness is subjective, but that's a conversation for another blog. In the words of Mark Manson, satisfaction should be measured by the level of and type of struggles we choose to endure. It's easy to say what you want in life or what will make you happy, no? A beautiful set of abs, new hair, an attractive girlfriend, that new car, a beach house, and so on. What's not easy is determining what type of discomfort you're willing to put up with in life. Struggles inevitably happen, whether you're ready or not, even if you are in the "Happiest Place on Earth," such as Walt Disney World. Take it from the words of a previous cast member. Here are three lessons that stood out to me during my time working for the Mouse: ACCEPTING REALITY. One day you're walking on clouds with the sun happily smiling down at you. The next, you're stuck in an ER at 1AM with your roommate (thanks Tessie) trying not to scream because you accidentally slammed your thumb in a car door. You're 99% positive that it's broken. Oddly specific - I know. Point-being, sometimes life happens. You feel like you've lost at predicting the unexpected. You think that your only option is to give up. Wrong. The only real failure is to stop trying (a lesson from The Haunted Mansion). For those of you who don't know, during my time working in Orlando, I achieved my dream role of being a Character Performer for Disney. About a month into my program, I suffered from a broken thumb, ending my brief shining career of being best pals with Pooh bear and Chip ‘n Dale (see below). Even so, I didn't let that massive defeat for me bring down my spirits. I still felt honored to have this experience and live out one of my long-term dreams. I was switched into the COMPLETE opposite role as park operations at Hollywood Studios being a park greeter. "Accept the reality," I told myself, and I did. I made the best out of a harrowing and crappy situation, as some would say. I met some of the best people I've encountered so far in my life, and it opened my heart to be filled with lots of joy and laughter. They weren't all good days, as struggles came with the job too. But I chose to see it as an opportunity to grow. The ah-ha moment hit - You see, when you choose to accept the way things are and make the best of it, you don't leave much room to view yourself as the victim. Your mind is powerful, and you can convince yourself of anything you set your mind to. When life doesn't go as planned, make the conscious choice to accept it instead of fighting it. I promise it's going to save you a lot of headaches and stress. KINDNESS MATTERS. You know, I've found that more people in this world try to be kind vs. the alternative. According to an NBC poll, 90 percent of people recorded feeling better about themselves when helping others. I love that. You can dictate how a conversation goes. You can influence the demeanor of the conversation. You can even change how a person's entire day goes with merely one conversation. My pun-filled, broken-thumbed park greeter self averaged 45 seconds per guest interaction. I tried to make it count too; a silly joke, charming smile, unexpected compliment, handing out stickers to kids, insider tips on the park, and more. My moments to be kind were endless, and let me tell you, it made an impact. Making people smile, receiving gifts, and knowing I could easily make someone's day special warmed my heart. It made my job feel worthwhile. It was enough to make me excited to work every day - to make a guest's experience unique because it's a special place to be. The same can be applied to you and how you live out your days. Be kind. You never know how much that stranger needed to see your smile or have a simple yet meaningful encounter with you. Be the positive influence that you're capable of. YOU DON'T GROW IF YOU DON'T FACE YOUR FEARS. You simply don't grow if you don't allow yourself to face your fears. Period. You just can't. I learned a lot about life and endured more hardships than expected during my time working for the Mouse. If you don't allow yourself to step outside of your comfort zone, you stay the same. Who wants to continually be the same person with no forward progress? I sure don't. Growth is positive. Hard. Agonizing. Powerful. Enlightening. Self-empowering. Growth is transforming into the healthier version of yourself that you work so hard to achieve and aspire to become. The fears that I overcame? I was afraid of failure. Failure to make friends, meet guest expectations, networking, or finding a stable career path. I was fearful of not having the right talent or personality...the list went on. I was terrified but also excited at the same time to tackle this new version of Mere that I dreamt of developing all along. In that fear, I grew. I conquered my doubts, cultivated a professional network with a solid foundation of friendships from all over the world, and made memories that I'll cherish for a lifetime. I stepped outside of my comfort zone daily while enhancing both my strengths and weaknesses for the better. THE ANSWER… I'll leave it up to you. You choose your own happiness. You decide what experiences are worthwhile to shape your future and the type of person you're evolving to become. For me? Yeah, you could consider it to be the Happiest Place on Earth. It's not the theme parks and extra magic hours that make Disney so great. All of the laughter and late nights with immeasurable people made up for all of the less-than-enjoyable moments. That was my happy place. The people. They are the ones who made it my happiest place on earth. They are the ones who make me want to go back. The parks are great, but what makes it so memorable are the cast members. The ones who have a heart for guests and other people that willingly give to make sure you come and go with a smile on your face.
You can indeed see the good and bad anywhere you go in any situation. Your happy place could be right in your backyard with your dog on a sunny day. On your favorite beach in California, watching the waves playfully crash into the sand. You can also find reasons to dislike those places too. Gain some perspective, and you decide. I encourage you to find your own "happiest place on earth" and do so with Mere Simplicity.
5 Comments
Monica
7/17/2020 08:59:03 am
Beautifully written Meredith! I’m so proud of you! I appreciate you and all of your experiences in your young life. I love you with all my heart❤️
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Tessie
7/17/2020 10:51:24 am
What a practically perfect article. So much meaning in such a small length of time. We didn’t find our Happily Ever After with the company, but because of the obstacles, the good and the bad, and the friendships we made... we are one step closer to finding our own, Happily Ever After❤️ Keep writing Mama Mer🤙🏽
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Tessie
7/17/2020 10:54:33 am
This was practically perfect in every way. We may have not found our Happily Ever After with the company. But, because of the obstacles we overcame, the good and the bad, and the friendships established, we are one step to finding our own, Happily Every After.
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Jamal
7/17/2020 11:08:43 am
Wonderfully written, poignant piece Meredith. Keep up the awesome work!
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Meredith
7/17/2020 11:11:03 am
Thank you so much for the kind words, Jamal. They mean the absolute world to me! I appreciate your encouragement. :)
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Hi, I'm MeredithHey you! Welcome to my personal blog. Combining life lessons and bits of wisdom gained through my experiences. Feel free to leave comments & share the posts. Categories
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