Disneyland Daoism #2: Ooo and Awe

Awe is an amazing feeling to cultivate…

“If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember that this whole thing was started with a dream and a mouse.”      - Walt Disney

Disneyland was built in only 366 days.

Now that’s impressive!

Even our plane ride was pretty amazing… we started in Vancouver at 4 degrees Celsius (39 F) then flew in a seat at 37,000 feet and ended up in L.A. at 24 degrees Celsius (75 F)… 

We won’t even talk about the hand held data device which communicates to the world.  The access we have to all of the world’s knowledge is mind boggling (or is that mind googling?).

Sometimes we can take it all for granted.

It is important to slow down and enjoy, savour and appreciate these awe-inspiring times.

Epic!

Dr.P

Disneyland Daoism #1: We are all pirates

The Pirates of the Caribbean ride was lots of fun!  It was also a wonderful experience with regards to reflecting on middle brain wants and the Chilling Consequences which can follow.

The popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise is testimony that we love pirates.  They are rebels who challenge conventional thinking (the authority of the day).   Johnny Depp’s character, Captain Jack Sparrow, is the loveable (yet deplorable?) rogue who gets himself into mischief and must make choices whether to give into the wants of his middle brain or transcend it and  make a more evolved choice.

I believe that it is this quality which makes Captain Jack so appealing and helps us identify with him.  We all have to make decisions in our lives where we must either give into the wants of the selfish middle brain or make a healthier (cortical) choice.  One which takes the future consequences of a behaviour and its effect on others into consideration.   The cortex helps give us a more balanced perspective.

As said, the Pirates ride and movies glamourize the life of a pirate.  The fun, the intoxication with alcohol (rum anyone?), revenge on authority (dunk tank anyone?) and the wanton sex – the lust and desire which goes with this (middle brain) behaviour.

In reality, pirates were drunken, brutal and self-serving thieves. 

And with this behaviour, there were Chilling Consequences to face.  The noose.

The novotherapy in all of this is that, the middle brain’s desires must be sated very carefully, because if overindulged, it can lead us into trouble.

This is so true with addictive behaviours or any (obsessive) desires we may have.

More on this later.

Arrrrrgh!

Dr.P

Disneyland Daoism

It’s been too long…

Like everyone, we have been busy.  I am finishing up a new weight loss book for the fall and on that writing, I have been inspired to do this writing!

We just visited Disneyland and it was pretty amazing.

You can say what you want about the perils of corporate greed, the perpetual marketing and commercialism, but at the same time one can admire the simple dream of one man (Walt Disney) which was to build an amusement park where parents and children could have fun together. 

Disneyland is truly is a different world.  It definitely is a place to have fun and “amusement” in, but I think it is a little bit more…

I was inspired to take a reflective journey this past week, one which considers the lessons required to live a happy and fulfilling life.

Travelling to the “happiest place on Earth” can transform one to live their happiest life on Earth.  Parents can consider these TOPICS, the next time they travel to Disneyland to enrich the experience.

And yes, Disneyland with its many rides and amusements is mediatherapy!

Goof on!

Dr.P