We are not our successes.
We are not our failures.
And we are not our rejections.
Don Miller provided the first two lines. He talked honestly about his success as a bestselling author and the fear that kept him from writing the next book, the relationships he blew up and the bottles of whiskey that deaden the pain.
Holding onto our successes and failures both create that same distorted expectation:
How will it ever be good enough?
Jia Jiang went out looking for rejection. He wanted people to say “No” and see what he could learn from it. He said he wanted rejection to become a good friend, one that he knew well.
Don’t identify with the outcome.
Certainty is a lie.
“Keep going!”
…shouted one audience member, when an attendee on stage struggled to share what her project meant to her.
Just a week prior, Tess Vigeland found out she didn’t get her dream job at NPR. A standing ovation erupted at the end of her talk. “We are with you,” the crowd was saying. Tess was brought to tears as she walked off stage.
The audience at WDS gave back to the speakers in a way I am not sure I have seen. They held a space that allowed for acceptance, encouragement, and love. Yes, love.
In telling one friend about the event, he said, “This sounds like a spiritual experience.”
I said, “Yes, that is exactly what this is.”
WDS is about looking at our beliefs and developing the courage to live your life. It is more than just inspiration (that has a half-life of about 22 hours). The event has become a place to explore honesty, vulnerability and determination with an incredible group of people who want to do the same.