Do you ever wonder what you’re here for?
Not like when you walk to your pantry, fling open the door and think, “Wait, what did I come over here for?” then you have to retrace your steps and go aaallll the way back to the couch, sit down, and get comfy, and THAT’s when it comes back to you, so you sigh really hard, heave yourself back up off the couch, schlep back to the pantry, muttering curse words at yourself about how this is happening more and more frequently, and then - because alzheimer’s runs in your family, you convince yourself this is a sign of early onset dementia, then you launch immediately into a panic attack (because naturally anxiety also runs in your family).
No, I’m talking about: do you wonder bigger picture what you’re here for?
I do.
Like, what am I here to do? To be?
There must be more for me in life than serving as a vessel of lotion for my dogs to lick from my legs.
I don’t subscribe to the belief that we’re here to serve just one purpose, and that every decision we make and action we take are steps toward fulfilling that one purpose.
Life is far too multidimensional for it to be that simplistic.
I believe that our lives serve lots of different purposes.
That every single move we make sets into motion a series of events that ripple out like rings in a pool of water putting into play a whole Crayon-style box of purposes: Some of them boring and tired and seemingly inconsequential but layered together, they start to build something rich and marvelous.
It’s why I’m such a junkie for workshops and conferences.
I love learning and growing and expanding, but not in the way that means shopping the Plus Size department at Nordy’s.
I’m talking about getting out there and meeting like-minded people who, like me, want so much more than a humdrum life.
People who want to know their purpose.
Or maybe they do know their purpose, but they want to connect with others who have similar life goals, like raising responsible, contributing-to-society children who will someday save the world, but recognize that it’s not always what it’s cracked up to be.
Picture walking through the aisles of a packed expo hall, absentmindedly digging through your bag of free swag, looking for the individually-wrapped hard candy that is mandatory in all swag bags, when you bump into someone, sending all your tchotchkes flying 12 feet into the air, and you look up as it all comes raining down on you, and say, “Oh! So sorry! I wasn’t paying attention!” and then stop short because she’s said the exact same thing, at the exact same time, and then you both laugh, and then SIMULTANEOUSLY you say, “Ack! I’m so clumsy!” and then you laugh again, both of you pointing at each other with a sly grin and say AT THE SAME TIME, “Jinx, you owe me a Coke!”
That’s what I’m talking about.
Putting yourself out there to find your people.
It’s how I’ve met some of my most favorite people over the last few years. People who get me and get what I do, and can commiserate with me when I’m frustrated, and celebrate with me - in a meaningful way - when I’ve met an accomplishment.
People from all across the country, who I wouldn’t have otherwise met.
One of my all-time favorite conferences is coming up, and I’m so super pumped to attend and find more of my people, which I’m happy to say really does happen each year.
It’s The Texas Conference for Women on October 24th in Austin, and it’s where more than 7,500 women convene each year for personal growth, motivation, empowerment, and connection in a gathering unlike any other.
From workshops, to lectures, small round-tables, break-outs for networking, and book signings, it’s a day cram-packed with sessions, leaving attendees, at the end of the day, worn right the hell out.
Austin’s premier independent book store, Book People, even has a book store at the event, and they bring hundreds of titles along with them.
This year is the Conference’s 20th anniversary, so I know they’re going to pull out all the stops.
Come with me!!
How much fun would we have, skipping arm-in-arm through the expo hall, swag bags looped through our other arm, as we hold our hats on our bouffant (I want to make sure you’re envisioning this the way I intended: we’re wearing a A-line 50’s style dresses like you’d see June Cleaver wearing, and our hats are pillbox-style. We are, of course, wearing gloves and pearls BECAUSE WE ARE NOT GARBAGE.)
I should mention that this can never happen if you don’t already have a ticket because of sold out shortly after tickets opened for sale.
But you can stream it by registering here for a Livestream ticket, and there’s still availability at the Opening Night event, too.
Here’s to closing out 2019 with purpose and passion, and with connections we never dreamed possible!
Drop a comment and let me know if you’ll join me in Austin - I want to see you and drink martinis with you and talk smack with you!
