There’s a kind of happiness that most of us don’t talk about, because we rarely feel it. It’s not peace. Not success. Not even purpose. It’s something deeper. Wilder. The kind of joy that makes every cell in your body sit up, tingle and sing. A soul-thrilling, heart-expanding, fully-alive kind of happiness.
It’s the kind that you experience, when you are standing in the middle of Disneyland; watching the character parade, as everyone cheers, claps, sings and dances, in nostalgia. You want to embrace each character as they pass, as if innocence itself is walking by, reminding you to believe again, to shout out in joy again. And suddenly, it is a ‘magic kingdom’, and through the music, a familiar childhood chorus emerges:
“It’s a world of laughter, A world of tears.
It’s a world of hopes, And a world of fears.
There’s so much that we share, That it’s time we’re aware,
It’s a small world after all.”
The truth is: this feeling isn’t meant to be rare.
What if we could create more Disneylands around us? Spaces that create the same emotions, teams that energize, families that laugh loud, relationships that sparkle, moments that bring goosebumps. We may not need a theme park. But we do need spaces, and moments, that bring us home to that spark. The one that whispers: “This is what it feels like to be alive. And because this kind of joy is essential.”
Wherever you are in your journey—as a leader, a parent, a partner, or simply a seeker—perhaps it’s time to ask: When did I last feel that kind of joy? And what would it take to feel it again?
If you ask me what my version of Disneyland looks like now, I’d say:
A coaching space where you walk in with your curiosity and your fears
And you emerge as a more aligned version of yourself.
Walking out feeling lighter, safer, and happier.