Motivation and Memories

I thought I should take a few minutes and write about the International Women’s Summit I attended earlier this month given the experience is proving to be a game changer for me.  I have been procrastinating about getting back into my writing routine for over ten years — that’s a lot of procrastinating! I used to love to write.

I used to write about my life and my view of the world. I wrote to sort things out in my head, I wrote for the kids (actually I wrote to the kids – although they didn’t realize that back in the day – they thought I was writing about the kids). It was therapeutic, cathartic and a lot of fun. Sometimes those essays would find a home in a Parent Magazine or a Chicken Soup book. I used to collect tear sheets like badges – a symbol of my worth.

And then it all stopped. The kids grew up – my inspiration moved out of the house. I went back to work and started a different chapter in my life. I wrote a little — eulogies, toasts, letters to the editor — but not on a regular basis. It seems as soon as I wasn’t the boss of the kids, I wasn’t the boss of anything and I didn’t have anything to say.

Fast forward. My daughter spotted an announcement on her Facebook page. Two of our favorite writers were scheduled to appear in one place. The lure was great to be there to hear them speak in person. She contacted her sister and I immediately. In a flurry of back and forth group texts we determined that it was essential to seize this particular moment and sign up.

The conference was in Phoenix and touted as being ‘three days of empowering experiences featuring a stellar lineup of female visionaries’. Two of those visionaries were our drawing card:
Elizabeth Gilbert – writer, blogger and inspirational goddess
Glennon Doyle Melton – writer, blogger and inspirational goddess
(It seems my daughters and I are suckers for inspirational goddesses!)

I had no idea what to expect at an inspirational conference but I am a huge fan of motivational speakers. I worried I was too old to be inspired. I worried I would be the only white-haired woman in the crowd. But the promise of spending a long weekend with my daughters all to myself was worth shoving those worries aside. Boy (girl) am I thankful I did!

I was cast into a room with 1000 women who had 1000 individual reasons for attending and who left, three days later, with 1000 customized inspirations. It was amazing. It was awesome. It was life changing.

And it wasn’t just Elizabeth and Glennon who did the inspiring — wave after wave of wisdom rolled toward us, sat beside us and punctuated the quiet conversations my daughters and I had while falling asleep at night. It was an experience I won’t soon forget.

I think we were inspired to take individual inward journeys – coaxed to pull secrets from our souls. Whether we spoke the secrets aloud or not, they were suddenly front and center to deal with. At least mine were.

I wouldn’t say I found myself at the conference but I did find the courage to be myself there. I came home a little free-er, and little more confident. I came home realizing that I was still a boss — I am the boss of me! I came home and put my brave pants on.