Day 388

It is always such a joy to embrace a new perspective...especially if it comes from one of Walt Disney's original Imagineers! Son Jimmy had the AMAZING opportunity to have breakfast with Bob Gurr, who is one of only four living Imagineers who actually worked with Walt himself!

After Jimmy's encounter, he called and told me about this amazing man and the stories he shared. This is when I learned something new and life-altering. This icon of Disney Magic was asked what keeps him so youthful and positive at the age of 91. His answer was amazing!

He told the group, gathered for breakfast, that it had taken him over forty years to come up with his key to longevity. He explained that, way back in history, there was a real need for "fight of flight" if one wanted to stay alive. As society evolved, the need for those choices became diminished. However, the human psyche still held fast to that old survival technique. In today's world, when met with a confrontation, problem or challenging decision, people tend to still fall back on that "fight or flight" mentality. Bob shared that he has worked hard, for decades, to leave those choices behind. When met with adversity, now he calmly deals with the issue...without anger, angst or any other emotion that might raise his blood pressure.

At first, it seemed like a novel idea that was shared by a charming, imaginative gentleman. However, it resonated with me throughout the day and still holds my attention. As the sun rose into the sky and later began to set, his mantra had taken on a life of its own within my own mind.

Lilly and the boys absolutely embrace the "fight or flight" mentality. When walking on a leash, they tend to become nervous when approached by other dogs. They are not able to choose "flight," so they tend to take the stance of "fight." They also see people, animals and strange occurrences as possible reasons to protect themselves and their pack...including their humans! Dogs have not evolved enough to embrace Bob Gurr's philosophy. It doesn't seem like many humans have moved too far along that continuum either.

For me, his idea will resonate and send tendrils of truth deep within my mind and heart. The hope is that it won't take me forty years to reach his calm state of reasoning and reacting! However many years it takes, it seems to be worth the journey!