paint, but his sister protested. After he assured her it would
come off, the two proceeded to decorate the side of the
house with pictures of houses and black zigzags. It never
came off.
We don’t know what Walt was thinking during those two
weeks in bed. But what we do know, according to
biographer Bob Thomas, is that by the time his foot healed
and he returned to delivering papers, “he had decided to
become a cartoonist.”^10 What was once a diversion was
now a destiny. He needed something to disrupt his comfort,
something painful to make him realize what was important.
It wasn’t that the nail was good; it was just the means that
forced him to listen. And as painful as it was, it worked.
At times we all need moments that force us to wake up,
that command our attention. These moments happen when
we least expect, whether we want them to or not. Our job
isn’t to wait for them or wonder why they occurred but
rather to see the opportunity they provide. Walt Disney used
an injury to think about what he wanted to do when he grew
up. In her grief, Jody Noland recognized a chance, maybe
even a responsibility, to give others comfort. When Eric
Miller stopped wondering why his five-year-old son got
brain cancer and decided to make the most of every
moment, his life and the lives of those around him were
changed.
As you avail yourself to how your life may be speaking,
you too must decide. Will you wallow in regret, wondering
why such a thing has befallen you, or will you choose to