On the wall of my home office, you will find a Serigraph Cel (a form of Animation Art) from the original Aladdin movie from 1992. As one of the last Disney films made using traditional animation techniques, when I had the chance to purchase an authentic film cel on a Disney cruise years ago, I could not pass up the chance.
I truly believe that Robin Williams’ portrayal of the Genie Of The Lamp is one of the best comedic performances ever! Knowing that in true Robin Williams fashion, there was most certainly a lot of ad-libbing to his performance makes it an even greater testament to his genius. Genie is not only one of my favourite Disney characters but also one of my all time movie characters. No matter what mood I find myself in, I can’t help but be instantly be moved to joy when I hear “Friend Like Me”!
However, there is another reason that I have this particular piece of art on my office wall. It reminds me of an important lesson in life which is to Be Your Own Genie!
Unfortunately, in the real world there are no magic lamps or Genies that can grant our wishes. If we are not willing to do what it takes to make our own wishes and dreams a reality, nobody else will. I am not trying to say that you are in it by yourself. That is not true either. However, if you do not have a clear vision for what your dreams are, the only way you are going to get there is by pure luck. Leaving your dreams to chance is a foolish endeavour in my mind.
Step one is to figure out what your dreams are. What does your “dream life” look like. What are you doing, who is with you, where are you? You need as much clarity as possible, and write it down. To be honest, this is the hardest part in my opinion. Some people spend their entire lives trying to figure out what their purpose and dreams are. The earlier you can figure it out in life, the better off you will be.
With the clarity of what you are trying to achieve, step two is to create an action plan on how to get there. It may take you years, but the more specific you are in detailing what it is going to take, the more likely you are to get there. Recognize however that you won’t have it all figured out the first time so be ready to make course corrections over time.
Step three, which can be the simplest and ironically, the hardest, is to stay relentlessly focused on taking the steps you laid out. It is simple because you have a plan. It is hard because it will likely take extensive discipline, sacrifice and patience.
Finally, as you grow and gain more experience, your dreams will also likely change. Make sure you plan time regularly, at least once a year, to revisit your dream to make sure you are still headed in the direction that you actually want to go. Don’t be afraid to admit that you have evolved and your dreams may have changed. I can’t imagine much worse that working hard to achieve a dream only to realize it wasn’t your dream anymore!
Life is short and if each and every one of us were able to find a way to achieve our dreams and grant our own wishes (even more than 3!), I think that would have a major impact on those around us and the world as a whole.
Remember, you ain’t never had a friend like YOU!