Daily Photo Tour - An Autumn Welcome

Walt's opening day speech. It's something that is referenced so often that the gravity of what is being said seems easily overlooked. Yes, it's a dedication to those who would come to enjoy Disneyland but more than that it's the manifestation of one man's dream, the result of hard work and perseverance in the face of those who said he would fail. Walt not only left a legacy for his family, he created a place where people can dream and create. Too often, people, who in the midst of pursuing something that makes them feel alive with purpose, are told that they are not "gifted" enough to do the very thing they were made to do and, too often, they feel defeated before they have even begun. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said,

"Whatever course you decide upon there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising which tempt you to believe that your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires....courage."

Fulfilling a dream is not without sacrifice, hardwork and opposition. There may be many sleepless nights, dinners that go uncooked, the feeling that your life has been all but taken over and that nagging suspicion that your critics just may be right. In spite of all this, the reward of pursuing your dream, that thing which separates living from being alive, far outweighs any obstacle. Not only will it change your life, it may very well change another's.