Show Notes

“Hey, pals, and Disney Dreamers everywhere. Welcome back to the Disney Magical Mindset Podcast. My name is Ruben, your Disney Magic Mentor, and I want to let you know how thankful I am for you.

Yes, for you. Thank you for being here, part of this magical adventure. I find so much joy helping you, you live the magic.

I am so thrilled that even though I love being in a Disney Park, and I know you do too, I want you to believe that if you don’t happen to be walking around Main Street today, or Disneyland, or Walt Disney World, or any Disney Park, that wherever you find yourself right now listening to this podcast, that you remember the magic is in you. I want you to believe this, because I’m going to keep saying it. You are the magic, because the magic is in you.”

“And you know how I know this? Because you’re a dreamer. And as much as we love Disney, and all the magic it brings, we also know that there’s an excitement, there’s something deep in us that longs for this different experience in life, a different world, a place of happiness, where we thrive and we succeed and we get better and we become better people and we chase after those dreams and we make them happen.

You have it in you. That’s why you’re here. You’re here because you don’t just want to read about the happily ever after in stories or in Disney animated films or movies.

You want to experience that in your life. And I want you to know it is possible. Like that happily ever after.

The joy of of finding that dream and that goal and that thing that you really want in life. Guess what? You can do it just like Walt Disney and just like all those who have come and gone and who have believed in the impossible.

You can do it. And I’m here to show you how. So thank you for being part of this great, big, beautiful tomorrow with me.

“I’m so excited for you. And I’m so excited for this episode. Are you ready?

Here we go. Today, I’m doing something really special. We’re diving into a film that hits differently now than it did when we were kids.

A goofy movie. Can you believe we’re celebrating the 30th anniversary of a goofy movie? And if you grew up in the 90s, like the best time to grow up, in my opinion, this one probably lives rent-free in your mind.

The road trip, the music, the Powerline concert. But now, it speaks to the grown up in me, especially as a dad. It just hits differently now.”

“I’ve seen this movie several times. And I can guarantee you this, when I watched it as a teenager, and then when I watch it now as a father, it just hits different. And I’m going to show you how, but in a good kind of different.

You know what I mean? So today, I want to share three life-changing lessons that I learned from A Goofy Movie. Lessons about dreams, about connection, and what truly matters most in life.

So whether you’re chasing your own goals, trying to connect with someone you love, or perhaps you’re reflecting on how fast time seems to fly, and it really does, doesn’t it? This one’s for you. The first lesson we learned from A Goofy Movie is about dreams and detours.”

“And you have to remember this about dreams and detours. It’s not just about the finish line. Let’s talk a little bit about Max.

All he wants is to get to the Powerline concert and impress Roxanne. That’s the dream. And in his mind, anything that doesn’t take him straight there is just getting in the way.

And Max, I understand. Max, we all understand that feeling because we have these goals and this vision for our preferred future, and we see it. And really, all we want to do is get there.

Wouldn’t it be awesome if there was a magic button that you can press that would just get you to the end of your destination to where you’re going? But we all know that’s not the way it works. There are bumps along the way.”

“There are detours, setbacks, stumbling blocks, those things that just irritate the heck out of us that we never want to experience, we never ask for. But we all know that in order to get to the goal and the prize and to have that happily ever after, you have to go through your unhappily ever moments. But those moments aren’t to stop you and to keep you from accomplishing your goal.

It’s those moments that give you the strength and the endurance and the belief that you can do anything, that you don’t have to stop at a detour and because those detours aren’t meant to deter you, they’re meant to give you the determination to keep going. And this is what we see in this movie, in a goofy movie, because here’s what’s beautiful. Max actually does make it to the concert in the end.

It’s such a cool scene in the movie, but it’s just not the way that he imagined, because what happens before that was not what he expected. You remember, there were the detours, the challenges, the embarrassments. Yes, that’s what it is, having goofy as your father, the possum parks, which actually love “that scene, by the way, so cool.

“But when he finally gets there, it’s so much sweeter because of the journey he took to get there. In other words, all the things that you experience before you get to the finish line are actually things that make the finish line that much sweeter. So you don’t give up, you don’t stop, you don’t let go, you understand that those things are building you and giving you the endurance to keep pushing forward.

You need to hear this. Everyone who gets to the finish line, everyone who succeeds to make it to the end, I guarantee you, they get there going through the detours, going through the setbacks. And what makes them different from everyone else who doesn’t make it is they don’t give up, they don’t stop, they don’t let go of their dream just because it doesn’t happen the way they thought.

They keep pushing forward and that’s what you’re gonna do too. Because I believe in you. Just like Max, we all want to reach the Powerline concert in our lives.

“You know, the dream job, the relationship, the success, that next level opportunity, the thing that you’ve been, you’ve been chasing after, right? And you’ve been giving it everything you have. We all want that.

But if we’re not enjoying the journey, guess what happens? We’ll miss the magic. This is so important.

Please listen to what I’m about to say. And maybe you want to repeat it, write it down. You can’t just fall in love with the finish line or the Powerline concert.

You have to fall in love with the race. Yeah, the daily process. Yes, the setbacks, the learning lessons, the people who ride with you, even if they drive you a little goofy.

“Because when the dream finally happens, you know, you finally get to the finish line, and you cross it, and now you’re crying, and you’re excited, and you’re just, you’re so thrilled, and you know, you’re so emotional, all in your feelings, and because you made it, you did it. That’s what makes it meaningful. Everything that you did before you crossed the finish line.

Yeah, the blood, sweat, tears, all of that is what makes the finish line that much sweeter. So wherever you are right now, my dear friends, maybe the dream feels far off. Maybe you’re stuck in your own possum park, like Max was just ready to get out of the possum park.

“Hang in there. Trust the detour. Detours aren’t meant to deter you.

Yes, they’re there, but don’t get sidetracked. Just remember, keep going. Fall in love with the process.

You know the race? Put in the work. Don’t give up.

Stay consistent. That daily grind of the process. And guess what?

You’re actually closer to the finish line than you think. And before you know it, you’ll be up there on stage with Powerline, Max and Goofy. Seeing it eye to eye, which leads me to the second powerful lesson from A Goofy Movie.

If we listen to each other’s heart, we’ll find we’re never too far apart. Wow! Such beautiful words from one of the most famous songs in A Goofy Movie, or most famous Disney songs in general, especially from the 90s.

“One of the most iconic scenes in the entire movie, the eye to eye moment. Can you just dance it right now? If you could see me, you could see me just busting a move.

That is so 90s, or is that 80s? It is not just the song, although let’s be honest, it’s still a banger. But what that moment really represents.

And I don’t know if you catch this from the film, but this is exactly what this scene is leading up to, like the whole movie. The whole experience between father, son, Goofy and Max leads to this defining moment from the film. Where Goofy and Max have been butting heads the entire trip.

You remember the detours that we just talked about? Misunderstanding each other, Max feels unseen, Goofy feels unappreciated, and parents, you know that feeling, don’t you? And I’m sure, if I were to ask my teenage son, does he feel unseen, perhaps he would feel the same way as Max.

But then, finally, you remember this moment, they dance together on that Powerline stage, they get to the end, to the finish line, and it’s more than just a fun moment, it’s actually “symbolic. They finally see each other, they listen, they connect, they get it, they’re up on stage. It’s such a beautiful, precious moment.

And I can’t help but get teary-eyed as I was watching the film and thinking about my son and just all these moments that we’ve experienced in life. And I’m going to talk about him a little bit later because he’s a senior, he’s about to graduate this year from high school, and I just can’t believe it. We say, how can it possibly be 30 years since A Goofy Movie first premiered in 1995?

And here I’m saying the same thing. How is it that my son is now about to graduate high school? I want you to listen to the lyrics from I to I, and how they still just hit hard today.

“If we listen to each other’s heart, we’ll find we’re never too far apart and maybe love it. Isn’t it hard not to sing it? It is the reason why, for the first time ever, we’re seeing it I to I.

Isn’t that what we all long for? To be seen, heard, understood. So what would it look like for you in your life to try and see someone I to I?

Maybe it’s your kid, or a friend, or maybe yourself. Maybe you don’t value yourself, and you don’t see yourself I to I, right? Maybe you have these unnecessary expectations and these burdens that you carry about yourself about not feeling like you’re good enough, or like you’re not going to accomplish your goals, or your dreams, or you’re always just listening to those negative voices in your mind.

Like here’s where you have to understand, you’ve got to see yourself I to I. You know why? Because your mere existence, the fact that you exist, that you’re here, makes you worthy of love.

“You’re so special. Like you are here. You are part of this world.

And the fact that you exist makes you worthy of love. And that’s why you get to see yourself I to I. And that’s why we have to choose to see one another I to I.

Because everyone we see is worthy of love. Everyone we see is worthy of respect. Everyone we see is worthy to be heard and understood and listened to and seen.

So when was the last time you truly listened? Not to respond, but to understand. See, connection doesn’t always come from having the same view.

It doesn’t have to. But from having a shared heart. And that shared heart is the reminder that everyone is worthy of love.

Because when love leads, understanding follows. And then we get to see each other eye to eye. Let’s try that.

Let’s do that more. A willingness to see one another eye to eye. Let’s see in it eye to eye.

The final lesson from A Goofy Movie, lesson number three, is about time. How time flies. I see this movie so differently now.

“This movie that was released 30 years ago. Yeah, when I was a kid, A Goofy Movie was Max’s movie. It was my movie.

I related so much to him. The awkwardness, the need to prove myself, the big dream. But now, it’s A Goofy Movie for me.

I’m a dad now. It’s one of my greatest gifts that I love so much. And my son, like I mentioned, he’s graduating soon.

And this movie hits so differently. Goofy is this awkward, you know, dad that we all love, and he tries too hard. He makes mistakes, but he shows up.

He’s there. He’s present. He fights for this connection with his son, even when it gets messy.

He just loves his son so much. And you know what I realize? As I think about my boy, and he even mentioned this to me the other day, too.

It’s like, dad, I appreciate you always wanting to be with me. I just always want to be my son. And that’s one of the hardest things is as he’s growing, and he’s just kind of letting him go in that sense, you know?”

“But always fighting for that connection, that time, just, you know, whenever he wants to hang out, it’s like I drop everything as much as I possibly can just to be with him, because I love these moments. As messy as they can be and as frustrating as they can be when you have a teenager parents, you understand. That’s what being a good parent is all about, isn’t it?

It’s about presence. It’s about understanding with your kids. It’s about not being perfect, but being present, being involved, being there for them.

And this movie reminds me that the most important things in life are right in our home. Remember, it’s not about perfection. It’s about presence.

I know I’ve made plenty of mistakes as a parent, and I’m sure you can resonate. I look back on some of those moments of being a parent, and I’m like, man, I wish I would have done it differently. But it’s about presence, it’s about trying.”

“Your presence is a present to your kids. Don’t forget this, because time flies. And the road trip moments, you know, like from the movie, where Max and Goofy are taking that road trip to get to the Powerline concert, the gas station mishaps, those cheesy roadside stops, the goofy conversations, come on, the dad jokes.

Guess what? Those become the memories you’ll cherish later. And we can’t get time back.

We don’t get that. We have the memories. We have the photos and the videos, but we can’t take that back.

And so this is why it is so important, because when we have these moments and we take them seriously, like the gifts in our homes, our families, our kids, our spouse, right? We get to cherish them later. So if you’re a parent or even just someone trying to love others well, let’s all take a note from Goofy.

Show up. Be there. Dance awkwardly on the Powerline stage of life if you have to.”

“Just love them. Show up and love them well. So those are my three big lessons from A Goofy Movie.

Let me recap for you before we go. Number one, dreams may take detours. Enjoy the ride.

Number two, real connection happens when we listen with our hearts, when we choose to see one another eye to eye. And number three, the most meaningful things in life are often right in front of us, right in your home. Don’t miss it.

If this episode spoke to you, would you please share it with another Disney loving friend or a parent? You never know who might need a little magical reminder today that the journey matters, connection matters, and love never goes out of style, even if you’re dancing in dad jeans, which I think I got some pretty cool jeans, by the way. Hey, if you’re listening today and you’ve been feeling a little stuck in your journey, I want to remind you, you’re not lost, you’re just taking the scenic route, and the concert is still coming.

Don’t give up. Until next time, keep dreaming, keep believing, and remember, you are the magic, because the magic is in you”