We talk about our core values a lot at FourFront. We have six of them that we try to embody every day. Every week during our team huddle, we ask some version of, “How did we actually live out these values in our work?”
One of our core values always seems to get a smile when we say it out loud: No Eeyores.
Yes, like Eeyore.
Not because life is always easy. It’s not. But because attitude matters. The energy you bring into a room matters. And, more often than not, you have a choice in how you respond.
That idea hit a little differently on a recent trip to Walt Disney World with our two-year-old granddaughter.
Disney with a Toddler… IYKYK
If you’ve ever been to Magic Kingdom, you know what you’re signing up for. Long lines. Heat. Overstimulation. Lack of sleep.
Now add a toddler to the mix.
There are a hundred tiny moments where things could go off the rails and plenty of opportunities to go full Eeyore.
The Night We Slowed Down
One night, after a solid afternoon nap (which already felt like a win), Diane and I took our granddaughter, Julia, back into Magic Kingdom, just the three of us. The rest of the crew went over to EPCOT for their version of fun.
The three of us rode rides. We didn’t have a big plan. We just… wandered. Took our time. Let Julia decide what looked fun. No agenda at all.
At one point, we rode The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, and somewhere in the middle of it, you could see it on her face. Pure joy. No awareness of the lines we waited in or anticipating what was next. Just pure joy in the moment.
Immediately after stepping off the ride, and landing in the shop, I bought her a stuffed Eeyore. Which, honestly, felt pretty perfect.
It Could Have Gone a Different Way
There were so many points that day where it could have gone sideways with a two-year-old. We could have focused on the long lines or the fact that we weren’t seeing as much as we thought we would.
Those wouldn’t have been unreasonable thoughts, but it just would have changed the whole experience. That’s the Eeyore version.
Instead, we chose something else. We let go of the plan a bit and slowed down to enjoy the moment. We let a two-year-old set the pace, and we saw the day through her eyes. And it turned into one of those nights you don’t forget.
That’s Really What “No Eeyores” Means
For us, it’s not about pretending everything is great all the time. It’s about choosing how you show up.
We all have moments where it would be easy to become negative by focusing on what’s not working. To bring that low, heavy energy into a situation.
“No Eeyores” is just a simple way of saying, let’s not do that if we don’t have to.
Let’s look for the better angle. Let’s not miss the good stuff because we’re stuck on what isn’t perfect.
A Simple Reminder
At FourFront, we have a handful of core values we come back to often:
- Being trustworthy
- Growth oriented
- A team player
- Client obsessed
- Bulldog mentality
And then there’s this one. The one that’s a little lighter, but somehow sticks just as much because it shows up everywhere. In meetings. In conversations. In everyday moments.
Even in a long line at Disney with a two-year-old.
You don’t control everything, but you do get to choose how you experience it. And sometimes, that choice is as simple as this:
Don’t be Eeyore.