It’s been almost two weeks since I returned from the World Domination Summit in Portland, OR. It was my second year attending.
After the event, there is an immediate flurry of fabulous, insightful blog posts from attendees about their experiences. I felt I needed to process it all more before I could write anything.
Last year, I found myself in the same place. I eventually referenced the trip in a blog or two, but I never really captured what it had meant to me.
Almost two weeks later, and I’m basically in the same spot – unclear how to express what I felt, and even more unsure what I will do with it all.
The premise of the Summit is “Living a remarkable life in a conventional world” through the values of Adventure, Community & Service. (Thank you Chris Guillebeau and team for pioneering this!).
WDS is a whirlwind of incredible speakers (heard some of my idols like Dr. Lissa Rankin), fun meet ups (took a ninja martial arts class), and great parties (danced Bollywood, drummed, splattered paint), complete with a World Record attempt eating waffles in bed with 600 of my new friends.
Fortunately, this year I had a traveling partner, and throughout the week we dove deeply into some of the concepts we had heard, while sampling food truck fare or sipping Portland’s vino. This was definitely a bonus. But I needed to process further on my own. As attendee blog posts continue to sprout up, I have felt even more paralyzed to write of my own experiences. I haven’t even read any of them yet for fear they will influence my own writing.
Since my return I have managed to stay in constant motion. While I’ve unpacked my suitcase, I haven’t unpacked my reflections. Jon Acuff, our first speaker, cautioned us that if you stay in motion, you don’t have to face the things that make you emotional. In this case, I also don’t have to process the messages or emotions. I don’t have to face what makes me uncomfortable.
WDS incites a range of emotions. Excitement, passion, inspiration, freedom, awe, joy, humor, creativity and this year, an unprecedented amount of tears too.
Pretty cool, huh?
Yet it also can expose a strong dose of self doubt, comparison, inadequacy. Aha!
Will my writing ever be as witty and insightful as the others?
Will I ever travel to as many countries?
Will I ever come up with an idea for a non profit that is as clever or powerful?
Is my story, my message good enough to merit being on the WDS stage? (yes, I actually just put that in writing)
I had attempted to bury these fears, by returning to the fray of every day life. I was slipping into the comparison mode, and I realized that this fear of not being enough was emerging in full force.
WDS draws some pretty spectacular folks. Remarkable, in fact. Then it hit me. That IS the message. We are ALL spectacular…remarkable.
Including me.
And that was the greatest lesson of all.
PS Look for more #wds2015 inspiration and photos in future blogs!