We're Too Excited To Sleep

When was the last time you experienced child-like enthusiasm?  Do you even remember?  I was thinking about this a few nights ago as I was realizing that I was only 7 days away from the 180 day mark to make dining reservations for my upcoming Disney vacation.  Just the idea that I get to make those reservations makes me smile from ear to ear.  And it's even more exciting because this trip is unique in that I get to be the one to share Disney with my 7 year old nephew for the very first time!  He will never again see Disney for the first time.  And I get the privilege of showing it to him.  Now I will get some help from my son and my mom, who are going with us, but Aunt Mendy is the "Disney expert" and according to my mom, probably the only one who will be able to keep up with Ari once the magic kicks in! 

Of course, just thinking about her comment reminds me of the Disney vacation I took with my mom a few years ago, just the two of us.  There are so many things I treasure about that trip:  surprising her with lunch in Cinderella Castle, showing her Animal Kingdom & Hollywood Studios for the very first time, and crying happy tears together while watching Dream Along With Mickey.  But probably one of my favorite moments came when we had breakfast together at Tusker House.  As the last of the characters passed our table, my mom looked at me and said, "It's like you're a little girl again when you're here."  She recognized the way Disney affects me and brings me back to that child-like enthusiasm. 

If you still aren't certain what that looks like, let me ask you if you remember this particular Walt Disney World vacation commercial:

 Have you ever been too excited to sleep?  I have.  Mainly before Disney vacations!  But there have been other times in my life that I've had that much excitement, so much enthusiasm that sleeping was not an option.

So now I'm about to tackle trip planning and dining reservations with a renewed enthusiasm, knowing that my nephew is depending on me to give him the most magical introduction to Walt Disney World possible.  But my goal is to tackle even more parts of my life with the same type of enthusiasm.  Think of what your life would be like if every task you undertook you approached with that huge smile on your face.  Would your days be more enjoyable?  What would everyone around you think?  How would it affect them?  Child-like enthusiasm is contagious.  It can change the mood of an entire room.  Experiment with it and see how you can change the world around you with a simple change to your attitude.  And think of how much more joyful your life can be when you attack each thing on your to-do list with the excitement that you do your 180 day Disney dining reservations!