Ok, so not really at the Mouse House when I am writing this but close enough to watch the fireworks at Epcot from my office window. As many of you know I have had a very successful career in both property management and as a trainer and consultant in the property management industry. I am so thankful for the fantastic people I have worked with and especially the ones that have touched my heart and soul. I have had wonderful mentors as well as some fantastic teams who entrusted me as their leader. When educating and training I assisted in the development of thousands of team members over the years to find inspiration in reaching personal and professional goals, and still have a file containing some of the exceptional comments I have received which I call my “Not having my best day file.” I have used this to get the creative juices flowing if a mental writing block comes into play, as well as giving the occasional boost of confidence when trying to detail a training outline for a new presentation.
When not visiting Michigan in February because I have a workshop to give (Who would go to Michigan in February unless they were being paid well for it?), or spending part of my vacation working on a new Power Point presentation, I do insure my downtime is quality which may include my passion for our aquatic world. Most of my down time is working as a scuba diver for Walt Disney World and their Dive Quest program, and I might add doing some extremely interesting and I might say important things and getting paid for it. My responsibilities have included safety diver coordinator for character diving, a.k.a. Mickey Mouse scuba diving in the 5.7 million gallon aquarium (see photo). Pretty cool when you are the person responsible for making sure Mickey Mouse is alive for his next movie or parade event. Other tasks have included helping capture a large spotted Eagle Ray for his regular vet checkup, or helping transport a 1,400 pound West Indian Manatee from Disney to the University of Florida for an MRI and getting him back home. Or how about being responsible for training divers how to use chain mail suits safely so in the event the vet staff needs to capture a shark for a checkup, it is done safely. Throw in having seen some unbelievable animals in the wild which most people may be lucky to see on National Geographic is down right awesome.
I guess where I am going with all this is none of us knows what the future may bring. We could be working extremely hard and performing extremely well, and the company we are with runs into financial problems. You go into work to find your position has been eliminated! Yes, happened to me. Had my position not been eliminated I might not have been a speaker and trainer for the National Apartment Association and touched so many lives. I might not be a scuba diver at the “happiest place on earth,” as it is called and work personally with the “big eared guy” himself. After completing course work I am now a Disney Trainer, and been selected for a leadership position with the organization. None of this would have happened had fate not touched me and something at the time that was perceived as “really bad,” found a lighted path to what may be a new career. So the next time life gives you lemons, find an adult beverage that requires lemon juice as you focus on moving forward. Or if you don’t drink, make sure the ice cube trey is full and have a cold glass of lemonade.
Happy Holidays
Larry
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