A Transformative Experience

I was honored to be a presenter at the 2013 Invent Your Future Conference  in Silicon Valley, California last week.  I usually leave most conferences jazzed and energized but this particular experience was truly transformative. I want to share some valuable take-aways and encourage you to pursue ongoing professional development to feed your mind and grow your potential through books, webinars, conferences, and coaching – whatever you can do to honor your professional self. IYF has amazing online resources that just might quench your thirst for something innovative and help you engage differently in your current role and your life.

My IYF morning started with a powerful keynote by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman who co-wrote: Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing. This dynamic duo discussed competition and how women calculate their odds of success before trying something new.  This of course limits what most women pursue in life.

Think about that! When was the last time you really upped your game and took a risk at something new without the comfort of knowing if the odds were in your favor that it would work out? Bronson and Merryman urged us to be more competitive in such a way that we are seen and heard in our work environments and to let go of the fear that we may lose.

They urged women to play like men and instead of constantly coalition building, consider what is possible – even if it seems like a long shot. This visionary mindset really got me excited since I have several things in the works that are not guaranteed to be successful. I’m now better equipped to take those risks and enjoy the process instead of only focusing on the end result.

We also got permission from those two celebrated authors to stop raising our hands. They encouraged us (women) to dive into the conversation and not wait our turn since often that turn is never granted in a professional setting. Men approach their careers like sport – sometimes they win and sometimes they lose – but they always play hard. “Women tend to be careful to a fault…” quipped Merryman and she is right. We need to give ourselves permission to go for success on and off the proverbial career field. What are we waiting for? I can tell you with confidence that waiting around to be recognized is a frustrating process. So get engaged, take a risk and up your competitive juices to seek out what you want. You have nothing to lose and can always fail forward and try again.

The luncheon keynote was given by Chip Conley, founder and former CEO of Joie de Vivre and author of Emotional Equations: Simple Truths for Creating Happiness + Success. Chip blew us away and reinforced the Thoreau concept of how the cost of something measured is how much life you give to it.

Chip experienced some very difficult and life-changing experiences over the last few years including multiple flat lines when he was pronounced dead and came back to life more than one time. He asked how we would create meaning in our lives and made us really explore the concept of having what you want and wanting what you have.

While these ideas were not new to me, Chip unpacked the art of gratitude in such a way that it really empowered me to understand the control I have in any situation. He revealed simple equations for pursuing happiness as well as deciphering suffering, despair, and how it impacts our lives.

Deeply entrenched in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, Chip helped us consider the joy of growing older and how curiosity and awe increases with age. He shared a study that indicated how people 46 years and older begin to really tap their curiosity, wonder, and awe. Growing older should be a joyful opportunity, unlike the pervasive cultural messages that tout the opposite.

My presentation sessions were packed and standing room only. While I was humbled and honored with the enthusiastic response to my message, it also left me with a truer understanding of how many women are unhappy in their jobs since I spoke about career reinvention or reigniting an existing passion in a current role.

The goal of my sessions was to give these women tools and action steps to move forward so they could pursue their dreams. What are you waiting for? There is no perfect time. But if you take control of your own career and life destinies and get in the game, flex your competitive muscles, be seen and heard, and stop asking for permission – you may just get what you want. Or you may realize that you’ve had it all along.

You deserve to be reignited professionally whether you love your current role or aspire to a new career. Take advantage of what you can do now and don’t wait until tomorrow.  Channel your energy and Invent Your Future!