There is a part of me that wants to share every detail of what I experienced today. Then there is another part of me that wants to protect the space we created on day one. I'm going to write somewhere in the middle.
Let me start by saying to the women out there, if you are ever financially able to attend a RISE conference, I want to take a minute to let you know that you should. Without a doubt, I know that this conference is life changing. Maybe you are thinking, I'm just not into that self help stuff and all that jumping up and down and I have no interest in drinking that "Kool- Aid". I get it, I really do, but I would be doing a disservice to you, if I didn't encourage you to check out this conference. The next one is in San Diego this June, soooo if you want to book a trip to Cali that wouldn't be such a bad idea?
The first day of the conference was all about owning our past and it was an emotional roller coaster and a lot of tears were shed in that room. We dug dip into our past experiences. You can't move forward if you don't own where you came from. We learnt about perspective; about turning past traumas or hardships into fuel. Looking for meaning in the things that happened in your life, both the good and the bad.
There was an extremely emotional exercise that I won't give all the details on here. All I will say is that the women in that room had experienced some of the deepest traumas you could imagine. In a room of 3000 women when you see hundreds and hundreds standing up to share that they had experienced the loss of a child, of dealing with sexual assault, battling depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. It was so heartbreaking. What did that exercise teach me? First, that people who have experienced unimaginable trauma...they are not alone. As sad as it was to witness this, it was also empowering, because even though they had experienced these horrible things, here they were at RISE working on themselves and taking it one step at a time. Secondly, that I am beyond blessed to have the life that I have and to have the childhood that I did. I know that deep down in my core, but this solidified it for me. The number of women who stood up when Rachel asked who had an angry/aggressive/abusive father, it shocked me. It broke me out of my privileged bubble. I know not everyone has a Dad like I do (or a Mom for that matter!) but to see the amount of women who stood when this question was asked...it just broke my heart.
I will be honest and say that I sometimes forget my privilege. Did I not deserve to have an amazing childhood, which has led me to the beautiful life I have now? Of course not. But (yes there is a but) I have to remember not everyone shares a similar story as mine. Not everyone will share my "anything is possible", sunshine and rainbows mindset. To be fair I didn't have to work that hard to be this happy. I have to remember that. I have to remember never to judge anyone for where they are or what they are doing or going through. We are all on our own journey. We all have our own past, the good and the bad, so be kind. Just be kind to everyone you have no idea the hurt they might be dealing with.
There were amazing speakers on day one, obviously Rachel Hollis herself, Jen Hatmaker, and Brit Barron. Each of these women were truly inspiring and such beautiful (and funny!) speakers. I really encourage you to check out their books. It's difficult to put into words what this day was like. Its so empowering to sit in a room of 3000 like minded women all searching for more, working towards their goals and dreams. I also met my new crew on day one! I got in a bit late and got up to the front to find one seat beside this group of three women, and boom my new best friends for the weekend. So if you are worried about attending a RISE event alone, don't be. I made friends in the first 2 minutes of being there! Women that I know will both cheer me on and hold me accountable.
Stay tuned for next week's blog where I take you through day two of RISE, which was all about health.
My Key Takeaways:
* What if life isn't happening to you, but it's happening for you?
* Another women's success does not diminish my success.
* We need to work together as women, the world needs our unique gifts, we are not in competition because there is only one you.
* SAME YOU NEW MOOD - move your body to change your state of mind
* "Is my life a reflection of who I want to be or a reaction of who I don't want to upset?" - Brit Barron
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