Great Week, Glad to Be Home

I love our family's Disney week tradition. Every year we pack up, drive to Orlando, and enjoy a sweet escape. For the Stonebraker family there are few things as enjoyable as a week with the mouse. It also provides me with an opportunity to reflect on the previous year.

One way our family life is different is that we took up scuba diving. On our way home from Disney, we stopped at a place in Florida called Troy Springs State Park. It was fun. We didn't dive very deep but we were able to spend some significant time under water getting used to our equipment. The other thing I love about learning to dive is that it has introduced us to another wonderful culture. The diving community is as rich and diverse as any other group our family is a part of.

I'll write more about our latest dive experience in another post, in this one I want to focus on growth. This has been an incredibly educational year for me. I have made some changes in my professional life and continued to push myself in personal growth as well. I decided a while ago that I needed to expand my horizons a bit and although it is uncomfortable at times, there have been many payoffs. I appreciate the close relationships in my life more, I certainly feel more gratitude for my family, and I am much more focused on continuing to challenge myself rather than settle for the status quo.

I am more sure today than I ever have been about what is important to me. I want to experience as much as possible. I never want my fear to stop me from pursuing my goals. I want to rise above the seductive pull of succumbing to the judgment of others. What does this have to do with Disney? To me Disney, in its essence, represents all of these characteristics and more.

Every year on my family trip to Disneyworld I relax, have fun, and gain perspective. I see the world from a child-like view and a lot of things become possible. I am reminded that this is the only life I will live and the priority is to live in joy.