I’ve recently returned home from The World Domination Summit. I know, the name sounds crazy right? It was pretty huge. 3000 Changemakers from over 30 countries gathered under the themes of community, adventure and service.

The World Domination Summit, or WDS for short, revolved around main stage speakers over the weekend as well as smaller academies, workshops, meetups and a ton of other cool events taking place all over the city of Portland, Oregon during the days surrounding the weekend. Topics range from figuring out your purpose, productivity as an entrepreneur, building community, minimalism/tiny homes, how to be a nomad and work from where-ever you choose, marketing and much, much more.

While there are many shared themes involved in the journey of a Changemaker, each participant will have a slightly different experience based on where they’re at and what they most need at the time they participate. In this article I’d like to share a few of my personal highlights from the event as well as some struggles I was working and some practices I used to help me work my way through these struggles. Since I was feeling low going into the event, most of the practices I put into place are those that help me connect with others at to raise my personal vibration. I’ve underlined those vibration raising practices throughout. (To learn a bit more about connection and vibration raising practices, check out my free video series here.)

Why was I feeling low?

I haven’t yet shared this publicly, but at the end of last summer, I experienced a sudden and totally unexpected end to the relationship I had with my lover. We’d shared 9.5 absolutely amazing, loving and respectful years together and I thought we were both committed and happy to continue this relationship into our years as elders. Losing this incredible man was without a doubt the most heart-wrenching experience of my life. (I’ll write more on that at another time.)

As I felt my world collapsing, tickets became available for The World Domination Summit. I had heard that WDS was the inspiration for Awesomeness Fest which I had attended 2 years previous. There, I had the time of my life connecting and networking with other Changemakers. In the haze of heartbreak, I didn’t know much, but I did know that I wanted to connect again with my tribe. I bought a ticket.

9 months later, I’m still a little tender from this separation. Vibration fluctuates and while I moved quickly from the days of sobbing my heart out and back up to a higher vibrational state, healing is a process and life has continued to throw me challenges along with all the blessings. I stepped back from my business for a bit in the name of self care and to re-align myself with a life without my partner. About 3 weeks prior to The World Domination Summit, we experienced a death in the family which re-ignited those feelings of grief I had experienced during the breakup. Ug.

Good timing for a road trip to WDS to help get me re-inspired! I kept my intentions pretty simple, to connect with like-minded folks and to learn what-ever I could in order to help me move my business forward in a good way.

What was most challenging for me, was showing up feeling low. As someone who is usually vibrating at a high rate, confident, inspired and inspiring others, I found it really hard to show up feeling like I spent the year getting my ass kicked. Opposite to a world dominating superhero, I felt as if I was arriving at WDS with my tail between my legs. Mostly, I just wanted to vibe it out with other Changemakers, knowing we all have our challenges and that this is the type of place we gather to support each other.

After a nice drive from Vancouver, BC to Portland, I began my World Domination Summit experience with Jonathon Fields’ workshop. This was a great way to start the week as it confirmed a ton of things I’ve already done in my business. My biggest takeaway was when he asked that we “forgive ourselves for what we have not yet done.” Whew, a breathed an audible sigh of release into the theater. Like pretty much all entrepreneurs (aka creatives), there will always be a big list of things we want to create and do and have not yet got to. Our inspiration and creativity is endless. So is the list. Forgive myself? Yes, I can do that. 🙂

The next day was the official registration and an opening party with a funky local band, food trucks, games and of course, tons of people to meet. I enjoyed lots of small conversations with many folks and was happy to see a fellow Awesomeness Fest attendee there. I approached this sweet man and we began talking. While checking in to see how each other was, I spoke from my heart, letting him know that the last year had been difficult for me.

Later that night while in bed, I reflected on my encounter with Mark, our missed connection and his feedback on my way of being. I saw him as a wise, spiritual soul and a giver who was doing what he knew how to do in order to be helpful. And I felt as though he was attempting to stuff mail into a full mailbox. While I’m someone that also reminds others of spiritual truths, I really try to only offer solutions or remedies when the person asks for them. I wasn’t asking Mark for solutions, I simply wanted to be in the truth of where I was at, to be heard and to be together in each other’s company. From that place we would be able to share some laughs and play together which would naturally cause my state to shift to a higher place.

Since most of us aren’t adept in reading each other’s minds, I would need to make the request of my needs clear. He could then choose whether or not he was able or willing to meet me in that place.

The next day, hearing all these powerful Changemakers take the stage, really touched my heart. There’s nothing like being surrounded by others who are also passionate about bringing more love, light and healing to the world!

“No Mud, No Lotus“

Thich Nhat Hanh

We also heard Megan Devine speak on grief. Megan shared her agonizing story about loosing the love of her life when he drowned while they were out hiking and swimming together. She spoke of her deep and intense grief and how society was constantly trying to help her move through and out of this grief when what she really wanted and needed was for it to be acknowleged and accepted for what it was. She recommended that when we’re attempting to help someone that we ask them, “How can I serve you?” We then must allow them to tell us what they really need and want without trying to fix them. I was so glad to hear her spreading this message and related it directly to my thoughts the previous night. Sometimes the best thing we can do is just to acknowledge the pain that comes from being human and to be with.

Another favorite talk was from Jeremy Cowart, a prolific photographer and activist who was recently named “The most influential photographer on the web”. Jeremy shared with us his struggles growing up with a low IQ and low self esteem. Recognizing how this affected everything he tried to do, his dad began to instill in him the belief “I can do anything” which led to his discovery of Jeremy’s artistic side, first in graphic design and then in photography. Repeating this affirmation throughout helped cultivate his power to instigate massive Changemaking projects in Haiti and Rwanda via his art, among many other purposeful projects and accomplishments. Check out his inspiring work here.

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Witnessing this powerful Changemaker artist in action really got my tears flowing. I exited the auditorium in tears, experiencing a  blend of strong emotions that were not yet fully clear to me. As I walked out, I looked up to see Mark standing in front of me. Witnessing my tears, he kindly offered to take me outside to sit together. That was exactly what I wanted. On route, he invited a female friend of his whom I sensed as a kindred spirit. Perfect.

We sat down and I began to share where I was at and what I had been reflecting on the previous night. I told them that I simply needed to just talk about what I’m feeling, to process it by speaking it through and to have them sit with me while I do it. I took ownership of coming across as stand-offish and explained to him why I think that is happening. I then explained that by nature, I’m very spiritual and super positive and that in this moment, I just need to be where I’m at, which is low. I came here to connect with other Changemakers and I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with 3000 people here and the emotions that the speakers are bringing up within me. I’m experiencing more feelings of sadness arising from the loss of my lover. I’m feeling a bit lonely and I recognize that I’ve had this feeling a few times before and it’s always when I’m in huge crowds of people who are bonding. I’m more introvert than extrovert. I connect best one-on-one as opposed to being in crowds. Often, it takes me a few minutes to remember the brief exchange I had with people previously and I may be going inward to recall what you shared with me so that I may follow up with you. Conversely, I see extroverts high fiving each other and yelling each others names as they walk through the crowd. When I’m alone, I’m rarely lonely and if I am, I find it fairly easily remedied by connecting with one of my cherished friends or by meditating.

Thankfully, WDS also gave us opportunities to process some of the mental, emotional and spiritual work we were doing through body movement. I loved the sunset yoga class in Pioneer Square on Saturday evening which was facilitated with a gorgeous soundscape created by Shamans Dream Music. I was also stoked for the opening DJ at the closing party in Pioneer Square on Sunday night. Dancing freely outside with bare feet always helps put me back into my power and the funk, house and soul music filled me with gratitude. Following that was the main DJ who was also a big hit and taught us some super fun Bollywood dance moves.