Unusually peaceful accidents

Disney Speaker Jeff Noel with comedian Michael Jr.
Couldn’t stop smiling while Michael Jr and i talked in Louisville. Challenged him to take a photo without smiling. Held this pose for 1/2 a second before laughing.

Unusually peaceful accidents may feel like serendipity, karma, answered prayers, etc.

Un-peaceful accidents may feel like torture, unfair, painful, etc.

Accidentally became addicted to alcohol at a young age. Alcoholism never has a happy ending, even though it lasts a lifetime.

Accidentally conquered alcohol addiction December 31, 2001.

By accidentally, please understand there were many attempts to quit, including three “No, this time a REALLY mean it!” attempts. So when it happened for good, it felt more like luck, not something summoned at will.

The drug-free peace you carry every step of every day makes the buzz from alcoholism feel like a prison sentence – lonely, trapped, worthless.

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

Wells Fargo got caught doing egregious things

WWJD
Last night in a parking lot after driving to Wells Fargo to deposit a check…What Would Jeff Do?

 

Wells Fargo got caught doing some egregious things on a massive scale.

Wells Fargo is our bank by default.

When we moved to Florida in 1984 we opened an account with Coral Gables Federal, which later became First Union, which became Wachovia, which became Wells Fargo.

A run of 34 years of never switching our finances to someone else. All change was done to us, not by us.

On the phone with the branch manager yesterday, once again discussing Wels Fargo’s inability to allow me to use their mobile banking app to deposit a business payment check.

Their daily (and monthly) business deposit amount limit is one-size fits all.

After 34 years, we receive the same treatment as a day-one customer.

The “spiritual” opportunity from this below-average customer service process is this:

While i was initially bent out of shape by this, i no longer am.

To have a check too large is a blessing beyond measure.

It has been fun to see my transformation.

 

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

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Let the punishment fit the crime and self-forgive

Disney podcast jeff noel
i’m not the wisest person in the world, but i’m the wisest i’ve ever been in 59 years – wise enough to have a podcast (coming soon, maybe tomorrow).

 

Driving home from school, we stopped at our mailbox so i could get the mail.

Attempting to put the car in park before it had come to a full and complete stop, the car jerked slightly.

The driver’s emotional reaction to his “mistake” was bigger than it needed to be.

Thinking he would self-manage this and quickly self-resolve/forgive, i noticed he wasn’t.

i reminded him that three weeks after i received my Pennsylvania driver’s license, i totaled our family car ( a giant station wagon).

It was Halloween night and there were trick-or-treaters everywhere.

The greatest blessing that came from totally destroying my parents’ car?

No one was injured.

No one was killed.

Both could have easily happened.

 

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This website is about our SPIRIT. To enjoy today’s post about our WORK, click here.

If you want to stay on this site and read more posts from this Blog, click here.

 

Vulnerability as a leader

jeff noel Disney management expert
Book title or just a great reminder? “From Theory to Magic”.

 

One hour and fifty minute phone call. Rough at the beginning but worth every minute to get to the ending.

We are both better off for staying the course, speaking openly, and never loosing sight of the blessings beneath all the surface struggle that will become something we will joke about in years to come.

Entrepreneurs should be testing “theory” daily.

All theory looks good on paper. Until you are running your own business, you’ll never realize how theory and reality are often polar opposites.

 

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This website is about our spiritual health. To leave this site to read today’s post on jeff’s career health website, click here.

 

On April Fool’s Day 2009, jeff noel began writing five daily, differently-themed blogs (on five different sites). It was to be a 100-day self-imposed “writer’s bootcamp”, in preparation for writing his first book. He hasn’t missed a single day since.

 

Making mistakes is the gateway to wisdom

Magic Kingdom Christmas Tree
Taking photos has been a joy since i was six years old.

 

Magic Kingdom Christmas decorations
Somewhere in the vicinity of 8:05am yesterday.

 

Magic Kingdom Cast Member window on Main Street
The Cast Member dedicated window for every CM that ever was, is now, or ever will be.

 

Casey's Corner at Magic Kingdom
Casey’s Corner…what is that up ahead?

 

Magic Kingdom Christmas parade filming
Disney Christmas parade filming songs in different languages.

 

i’ve told Chapin (15) to make as many mistakes now (before moving away) as he can – and have the help and support from us. The caveat is that he can’t do anything hurtful, immoral, unethical, etc. For example, ask someone out who might say no, take a risk, get involved, speak up, stand out, blend in, don’t get involved, play it safe, etc, etc…everything comes with choices and consequences…some we will regret doing and many we will regret not doing – learn to overcome fear, create effective (and maybe efficient) decision making processes, etc, etc.

 

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This website is about our spiritual health. To leave this site to read today’s post on my career health website, click here.