Disney Magical Mindset Podcast

Perspective Changes Everything: A Cars Land Mindset Shift

• Ruben R. Rios • Episode 59

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 20:30

What if one of the greatest mindset lessons was hiding in plain sight at Disney California Adventure?

Every time you step into Cars Land and see the canyon behind Radiator Springs Racers, it stops you. The view is unforgettable.

But here’s the real question:
Are you just admiring the view of the life you want…or are you getting in the car and pressing the gas?

In this episode of the Disney Magical Mindset Podcast, we’re talking about perspective, how what you focus on shapes what you believe about yourself, and how your beliefs determine whether you stay parked or start moving forward.

You’ll learn practical ways to reframe your emotional mindset through intentional habits like meditation, gratitude, balance, and managing your triggers, so you can protect your peace and build momentum.

The view is beautiful. But the magic happens when you step into it. It’s time to stop watching and start driving!

Helping you silence the villain in your mind and become the hero of your story!

Ruben :

Hey pals, welcome back to the Disney Magical Mindset Podcast. My name is Ruben, your Disney Magic Mentor. And if you love Disney, personal growth, learning how to silence the villain in your mind so you can become the hero of your story. I want you to know you're in the right place. Thank you so much for being here. Hey, what if I told you one of the greatest mindset lessons I've learned actually came from walking into Carsland, a Disney California Adventure. I'm serious. It actually happened to me this past week, a couple weeks ago. Every time I step into Carlsland, there's this moment that I have. You know, you turn the corner and boom, the canyon opens up, the backdrop behind Radiator Springs racers is right there in front of you. It stops you in your tracks. It's one of the best views in any Disney park. And it might just be the best view in any Disney park. And I'll argue that all day. But we're not going to be talking about that specifically today. We can argue uh in a friendly way on another day. But but today um it really just hit me that you can stand there and admire the view, like you know, the beautiful view that is the backdrop of Carsland, the canyon there. Uh, or you can get in the car and press the gas, which is what I did uh that day as well after stepping into Carsland and admiring the view. I actually went to go race because that's life, right? You could stay admiring the view, or you can get in the game. And I think that's what we all want. That's perspective, the power of perspective. Because perspective isn't just what you're looking at, it's what you decide to do next. That is such a powerful key and lesson we're gonna learn today. Uh, and and I want to really zero in on this perspective. That is the power of choosing your view and why staying parked might be the only thing standing between you and the race you were meant to run. So are you ready? Because here we go. I'll meet you at Radiator Springs Racers and we'll see who wins the race. All right, here's the first magical life lesson I want to share with you today. You get to choose your view. You have the power every single day of your life to choose your view. Because the canyon doesn't change. You know that the beautiful canyon that you step into in Carsland, the mountains are the mountains, but what you focus on changes everything. You can walk into that land distracted, stressed, irritated, already thinking about what went wrong earlier in the day. Isn't that easy to do for all of us? It's easy to always focus on what's wrong instead of focusing on what's right, right? Focusing on the good that you have in life. You know what I'm saying? Or here's the other thing: you can actually slow down and take it all in. That's a choice. That's exactly what I did that day. I just slowed it down. I took it all in. And I was just so grateful for the moment that I had to almost slightly press the pause button and just sit in that space of just admiring the view, choosing joy, choosing to look at the view and just embrace it all. And that's the same thing in life. You get to choose what kind of day it's going to be. You get to choose what thoughts you entertain. You get to choose whether you're going to fixate on what's broken or focus on what's possible. And that's your power. Like that's your magical power every day. You get to choose that. If you constantly focus on your mistakes, your past, your insecurities, you're gonna live part. That's just the reality. I mean, you know, and and it probably didn't require me to tell you that. Like I think we all know if we focus on the past, on our mistakes, on everything that we think is going wrong, it's easy to stay part. It's easy to just um, you know, stay back and not not get in the race because you are focusing so much on what can go wrong instead of what can go right. You're focusing so much on losing the race instead of getting in the race and just enjoying the race because you don't get to determine, right, whether you win or lose. But I tell you this, it's a whole lot easier to lose when you stay back and you don't get in the game. Like I want to be able to say, you know, at least I race, man. At least I got in the race, right? And and yes, we all want to win. Of course we do. Like when I get in Radiator Springs and with that day that I that I um got in on the attraction and I was just so excited, you know, we were all pumped up, like our whole car was like ready to go, but we didn't win the game, but we still had fun. Like that's what I'm talking about. Like you could still enjoy it even if you don't win the race. But I want to encourage you, you gotta get in. You gotta actually get in the car to race in order to enjoy the race. And the the outcome, right? That's not you you have no like control over that. You just gotta get in the game. And I want to promise you something. But when you do, you get closer to the finish line. When you do, you get closer to the destination. When you do, you get closer to the dream that you've been dreaming about, but you got to get in, right? And it's all about perspective, right? That's the power of perspective, right? What you perceive about yourself becomes what you believe about yourself. I want to say that again. What you what you perceive about yourself becomes what you believe about yourself, right? If you focus on growth, potential gratitude, guess what happens? You start moving. Yeah. And and and that's not toxic positivity, that's intentional perspective. And there's a difference. You know, one of the things I do to help reframe my emotional mindset uh and help me to choose my uh my positive view, like the view that we're talking about, that you get to choose that view is meditation. Yeah, you know, studies show that that when you slow your brain down and you focus on what you want, your brain engages and moves you closer to those goals. Like there's a benefit in actually, you know, pausing and slowing down and resting and and doing those breathing exercises that that just you know really set you up for your day. You know, when you choose to throw out that mental clutter that doesn't serve you, you know, things like anger, fear, or constantly comparing yourself to others, we all know that. You begin to make room for peace and tranquility that helps you focus on what actually matters today. Now, I practice meditation every day. Uh, and I know it it's different for everyone. It looks different uh for everyone. For me personally, uh I I read the Bible, that's an important part of my meditation, uh finding different scriptures and really um zeroing in on that. And, you know, I practice prayer, you know, praying to God. I engage in breathing exercises that help to slow my mind, my heart, my thoughts. And again, I know it is different for everyone, but there's so much benefit in actually engaging in meditation in whatever way that might look like for you. Because here's what I know. Here's what I know for me that if I don't choose my thoughts, they'll choose me. And chances are it's those negative thoughts, those ones that that that that record player, you know, that song that keeps playing that broken song or that broken record over and over, and it just keeps going. Like, no. Like I know that's why I have to choose my thoughts. Because they'll they'll want to choose me. And I refuse to let negativity drive my car. And I want to encourage you that you have the power to refuse to let negativity drive your car too. All right, all right, let's go on to point number two. This second magical life lesson I want to give you today. Refuse to stay parked. That's it. Don't stay parked. Here's the thing about Radiator Springs Racers watching it is cool. It's actually really cool. Even if you just sit there at Flo's Cafe or you're just walking through and hearing the zoom of the cars, it's a pretty cool thing to see, to hear, to watch. But riding it is a completely different experience. And some of you are standing at the entrance of your own dream life. You see it, you want it, you talk about it, you dream it, right? But you're parked. And perspective isn't just how you see yourself, it's whether you believe you belong in the race. And I want you to know you belong in the race. I want to encourage you. I want to just pump you up today and remind you you definitely belong in the race. And maybe you've convinced yourself, I'm not ready, I missed my chance, other people are ahead of me, I'm not gonna win the race. You know, all those negative thoughts that we're addressing in the first point, you know, where we take a step back and we and we we slow our mind and heart down, right? So that we can allow those positive, encouraging thoughts to take over our mind and heart. Yeah, listen, there will always be someone faster than you in this life or in the other lane. It's just the reality. I mean it's the truth. There will always be someone faster in the other lane, but that's not the point. In fact, if you focus on that, you're missing the point. The point is, are you even in the race? Are you actually in the race? Right? Moving forward even slowly beats sitting still every single time. And above all else, move forward, not backward. You're not gonna get anywhere going backwards. You got to just keep moving forward. Even small action shifts your mindset, like just little small actions every day. Create new habits, set a new goal, practice self-care consistently. Do one thing today your future self will thank you for. Press the gas. Like do something, get in the race. And I can't tell you how exciting it is. If you've ever been on Radiator Springs racers, you know what I'm talking about. It's just so fun getting in the race. Even when you get to the end and you don't win the race, you know, you look over to the side and you're like, oh man, this card, they beat us because you want to win. We all want to win, right? We don't get in the game because we want to lose. We get in the game because we want to win. But here's my thing: I would much rather get in the race and have a story to tell, even if I didn't finish the race the way I wanted it to, right? Even if I didn't get first place, but at least now I can say I was in the race. And now I have a story to tell. And now I have experiences and now I have motivation to keep pressing forward and keep going, right? Because I actually stepped foot into something that I was scared of, something that I didn't know what I was gonna do, right? Instead of staying out, you know, on the side or parked and just looking at everyone else, zoom on by. No, now I get to say I'm the one who was in it. And here's the thing: even if you don't win the race the way you wanted to, right? Even if you got second place, and I'm using the Radiator Springs racers, you know, theme. Okay, guess what? You get to go again. And I've been on that, the the car, the ride, the attraction, Radiator Springs Racer, so many times. Guess what? I've won so many times. And yes, I've lost two, but I've still I've won. And that's what I'm saying, because you get back up and you keep going and you don't stop because you know you're gonna have another opportunity and you don't get to determine the outcome of the race, but you the only thing, the power that you get to determine is to actually get in the race. And that's exactly what I'm talking about. So press the gas, my friends. Let's go. I will see you there, and we'll have the time of our lives. Ooh, okay. All right. Let's let's I was gonna say let's bring it down, but but I don't know. This this third point might just, you know, bring us back into the race again if we just keep going. But listen, here's the last magical life lesson I want to share with you. Number three, here's the here's the last point that I wanna I wanna give you today. Manage your triggers or they'll manage you. Yeah, we all have triggers. You have to manage, we, we, you, me, we have to manage our triggers or they'll manage us. Um, and let's be real. Not every day feels like walking into Cars Land. Am I right? I know we want it to be, and I wish that was every day, but the the reality is is not every day feels like walking into Carsland or walking into Disneyland or walking into Walt Disney World or California Adventure. Some days feel like traffic on the five freeway. And if the five freeway is is what takes you there to Disneyland, you you know, some of you or many of you know what I'm talking about, they're going through Los Angeles, the five. Yeah, it's it's a tough freeway, man. It's busy traffic, uh, and we all have triggers. You know, people running late, canceled plans, there's work stress, uh, you know, the state of this this world, country, you know, with people, you know, triggers like politics, I mean finances, that one coworker, we all have triggers, my friends, we all do. And if you don't identify what sets you off, it's gonna eat you alive. And then once you identify that trigger, you have to remember this. Some things you can control, some things you can't. And I don't I I don't want to put a percentage on this, but but I'm led to to believe and pretty confident that a lot of the triggers that that that you know cause us to uh to feel a certain way are things that you can't control. Yeah. Things that I can't control. I can't control people running late. I can't control canceled plans. I can't control you know that one coworker that drives you crazy or drives me crazy. I can't control that. I can't I can't control certain things. I can't control people's opinions about me. I can't control whether people are gonna follow me or unfollow me. I can't control whether people are gonna listen to this podcast or not. I can't control that. So identify the trigger. What is that thing that just causes you to just get frustrated and angry inside and ask yourself the question is this something that I can control or is this something I can't control? Is it like if it frustrates you, ask, is it worth my peace? Is this actually worth parking my progress? And when you start really identifying your triggers and then actually coming up with some kind of solution that helps you determine if it's something you can control or something you can't control. If you can't control it, drop it. Park that instead, and then you get on the grind, you get on the race. Because it will make a world of a difference when you begin to start setting yourself free and giving yourself the freedom to let people think and do what they're going to do because you can't control it anyway. The only thing you can control is you, is your response, is your reaction, is what you do with it. That is your power. So join me in Radiator Springs. Let's jump on the race and let's let all those triggers that keep us from fulfilling our purpose, our life, our joy, our dreams like let's just park that and let's get on the ride. That's the magic right there. Now, friends, before I let you go, let me remind you to help your perspective, to help you get the view that sets you up for the vision that will make a difference in your life. Remember, balance is so important. It matters. If all you do is work hard, you never take any time off, you're just grinding, man, you're just trying to get to that place. Even for something you love, you're gonna burn out. Your car will only get so far before the gas is no more, and then you have to walk, right? You're just tired. And you need restoration because burnout clouds your perspective. It looks different. Restoration is gonna look different for you. You gotta find that time away that that really fills your cup and restores your soul and just refreshes your spirit. For me, that's Disneyland. I'm so grateful to be a magic key holder and to go every week, just about every week, to Disneyland. There's nothing like going there to experience the magic, to be reminded of the magic, but to also just stop and enjoy that time. It's like therapy. You've heard that before. There's something about being in a Disney park that that just does that. I love taking walks on the beach. Uh, I used to paddle board. Every time I talk about paddleboard, I'm like, I need to get back out there again. There was such a it was so beautiful to be out there on the water, just paddle board. I love spending time with my family. What is it that restores you? Find it. Because that just makes you a better racer. When it's your time to race again, you're ready to go because you've actually took the time to be restored and refreshed. All right. Rest isn't weakness, it's maintenance. You can't win a race with an empty tank. Okay? All right. So as we end today, here's the image I want to leave you with. You're standing at the entrance of Carsland. The canyon is glowing, the music is playing, the mountains look perfect. It's a beautiful day. You can stand there and admire it, or you can walk toward the loading platform, buckle in, and step into the race of your life. That's your life. You don't just get a better view. You get to choose your direction. You get to decide what kind of day this will be. You get to reframe your thoughts, you get to release what doesn't serve you. You get to move forward. The view is beautiful, but the real magic happens when you step into it and press the gas. So this week, choose your view, manage your triggers, protect your peace, and stop watching everyone else race. Get in the car. This is your race. And I'll see you in Carsland, where maybe we'll race in Radiator Springs racers. Friends, if this episode encouraged you, please share it with another Disney dreamer who needs the reminder. If you've not done so already, it would mean so much if you left a review on any one of the platforms that you're listening to this podcast that would help to continue to share this magic with others. I thank you so very much from the bottom of my heart for spending time with me today. I hope you are encouraged. I'm here to cheer you on, to remind you to keep dreaming, to keep believing, and to remember. You are the magic. Because the magic is in you.