As I reflect on my school-year of blogging, I have to ask myself why I'd dedicate this whole project to Walt Disney?

In fact, over the years, I've dedicated quite a bit of time to learning about Walt Disney, his projects, and the people and projects that have been riding Walt's Wave long after he was gone.

There are plenty of other worthy scholars, philosophers, humanitarians, or people of greatness to consider.

One obvious reason for choosing Walt as a theme for this blog would be that PassPorter is pretty much a place where people have some interest in Walt Disney.

My real reason, though, is because Walt Disney followed his heart, which is not always an easy thing to do, and I wanted to learn more about how that can be done!

There is a balance between those rules we HAVE to follow, and those personal preferences that we CHOOSE to pursue. Finding that balance, I think, can mean all the difference.

Let's consider jobs, since that seems to be what Walt is referring to in the quote. Some people get upset if they hear that having fun or doing what you want to do on the job is important. Some people stay in a job they hate with people they hate, doing what they hate to do. Some people leave job after job because they are TOO focused on what they want to do and can't accept that you can't be happy ALL the time.

Healthy balance looks different to different people. Some people make the best of their situation and appreciate a job that may not seem great to others. Some people take the risks to let adequate jobs go on the way to finding the right fit. Some people work hard to create a stream of income that allows for free time to pursue their interests. And some people are innovators, creating roles and work settings to suit what he wants to do. I think Walt made all of those choices at one time or another to get where he wanted to go.

So, why did I choose Walt Disney as the theme for a blog about pursuing dreams and goals? Probably because he has been an inspiration to me while I do just that.

Walt was a hard worker, he managed with no financial help at all, he bounced back when disaster struck, he knew how to make things happen, and he was just a normal person with no special entitlements or background.

Walt also put his energy into making people laugh, have fun, wonder, smile, and feel good. He really did create a wave that has gathered momentum and moves countless people each an every day in homes, theme parks, theatres, cruise ships...you name it!

In my mind, this blog was a job, even though I didn't get paid for it. Keeping Walt in mind helped me, especially when I didn't feel like blogging! I just reminded myself that this was what I wanted to do, even if I didn't remember that in the moment. Even if it seemed like it was a stupid thing to do.

After all, I really do think that is what Walt would have done if he believed in the project, even if he was the only one who believed.

Were you at all inspired by Walt Disney? How? Did some of that inspiration come from this blog? If not, where did your Walt inspiration come from?