Sometime in September of 2010, I was sitting in my cubicle at work trolling through my blog reader when I saw Chris Guillebeau’s invite for his unconventional conference, the World Domination Summit. I don’t remember what I was thinking but I instantly grabbed my credit card out of my purse and bought a ticket. I had no idea that this one moment of spontaneity would open me up to a world I never knew existed. Nine months later I arrived in Portland not knowing what to expect and not knowing a soul. The 3 days that followed were some of the most insightful, inspiring days of my life. I credit my first World Domination Summit with giving me the courage to stop talking about living a remarkable life and actually going out and doing it.
Now a year later, I was sitting on the plane getting ready to do it all over again. Several people had asked me what I was planning on getting out of the 2nd Annual World Domination Summit. And to be honest I didn’t have a good answer. My entire life was different from what it was when I attended WDS in 2011. Would this year be as special and amazing? The short answer is ‘yes.’ There is something so life altering about finding your people. Those people who truly understand where you’re coming from and don’t flinch at the crazy ideas that spout out of your mouth. Those people who you feel an instant connection with even though you’ve only just met. They have that same unwavering drive towards something greater. Fellow WDSer Hung Pham likened the experience to being abducted by aliens:
“You remember everything but are still not sure what the hell happened. You want to tell everyone you know but unfortunately not everyone will believe you and some may even think you are nuts. Only those that have shared this experience with you can truly understand how you feel and how your life will be forever changed!”
I’m not even going to attempt to describe my own feelings and experiences from WDS2012. I walked away with a deeper understanding of who I am, a greater connection to the people around me and the reaffirmation that I’m on the right track. But one of the most profound things I came away with was a simple phrase from Brené Brown’s opening speech on vulnerability:
No One Belongs Here More Than Me.
I almost didn’t make it to WDS2012. The reasons behind that are long and complicated and something that I might share at a later time (or I may not) but when Brené Brown took the stage all of the concerns and fears and issues that had been swirling around my head ceased to exist. One of the first things she shared was her apprehension around speaking at WDS2012. The one phrase she used to ease her worries was “no one belongs here more than me.” It’s true. No one belonged up on that stage in that moment more than her. No one belonged in that moment more than me. No one belongs in your life more than you. Your triumphs, your failures, your glory. It all belongs to you and no one can take that away from you.
The Power of Uncool
I’ve written on this blog previously about vulnerability and how I kinda suck at it. However, as Brené explained, vulnerability It’s not synonymous with weakness or disclosure. It’s the birthplace of creativity and empathy. Love and hope. Joy and curiosity. Vulnerability is necessary to live a whole-hearted life. When we lose our capacity for vulnerability, joy becomes foreboding and we can never truly open our hearts to the fullness that life provides. One of the most important take-aways from Brené’s talk was the importance of being uncool. Being “cool” is all about self-protection and putting up your armor to the world. When you’re uncool, you let your true self shine through. You live with your heart wide open. And you remember that no one belongs here more than you do.
Community, Adventure, Service
The theme behind the World Domination Summit is learning to live a remarkable life in a conventional world. No easy feat. Living a remarkable life in a conventional world is hard. It’s really, really tough. Mostly because it’s so easy to get off track. It’s easy to be swayed this way and that until before you know it, you’re lost in the middle of the forest with no idea how to claw your way back out. Being a part of the community that is formed at WDS gives me the strength to get back on track when things have been derailed. The thing that unites me with the rest of the World Dominators is that sense of community as well as the drive for adventure and a desire to serve. All things that are immensely important to me.
It is not possible to do it alone. Stop trying. Go out and find your people. The people who share the same core values as you. Connect with them, share with them. And stop trying to be so darn cool.
Photo Credit: WDS2012
