Let the possibility wash over me. Let it sink through my pores and wake up the silence.
Before anyone had spoken a word on that grand stage in the Regal Ballroom in Northcote these are the words I had written down.
Unlike other conferences I had attended, I had not spent hours antagonising over the schedule of speakers. I had not spent time any time on Google researching the speakers or their links. Instead in my preparation to go to the Big Hearted Business (un)-Conference I stripped myself bare.
I shed my inhibitions. I shed my expectations. I took a deep breath and surrendered to the reason I had acted on an impulse and bought my ticket. I was at Big Hearted Business for my soul. My inner voice wanted to go, begged me to go and I followed that voice. My body was merely a shadow lagging behind.
I would need thousands and thousands of words to let the messages I learnt over the weekend wash through my mind, down my fingers and into words on this page. The schedule for the weekend seemed long, arduous even. The days started at eight in the morning and finished at seven at night. But almost like magic, maybe more so, in a way that time didn’t exist, the schedule fell away from time. I did not feel tired, exhausted or overwhelmed. Maybe it was the spontaneous dancing, the bursts of yoga or the inspiration that seemed to glisten every time that Clare took to the stage. Maybe it was just me. With each ticking minute my inner voice, that place deep inside, only spun warmer and warmer while at the conference. I felt energised by each moment.
If I could bottle the messages from each presenter I’m sure that each jar could solve so many of the world’s problems, like a spoonful of sugar each time. Take a moment (now or later) to meet the creative minds, the master crew of Big Hearted Business of 2014:
Joost Bakker: I wish I could eat this man’s food every-single-day. His no nonsense, anything is possible attitude has really shed my perception on the ability of one person being able to make a ripple of difference.
Fabian Dattner: Happy 60th Birthday Fabian! One of the first things I wrote down when Fabian spoke was “do not compromise your values, your parents or your partner.” Something I have always lived my life by. “Failure shared halves its power over you.” I now believe that anything shared halves its power over you.
Missy Higgins: Sweetness of all kind is this woman. How on this planet had I not heard her before? Sing, speak and just be awesome? “Embrace vulnerability in your everyday.” The only thing I wrote down when Missy spoke because I was so enthralled with all that she was saying that I simply wanted to soak it all in. I hope to make more of my decisions through my vulnerability.
Danielle LaPorte: I was so excited about day two simply because of this lady and I was not disappointed! Get your Google on and find out all about her. I wrote pages upon pages of notes from Danielle, she was electric. I think the most powerful personal realisation I had while Danielle spoke is that I’m done with guilt. It is as simple as that. Moving forward, I am going to be empowered by my choices and seek enlightenment, not guilt.
Kylie Lewis: Give me more please! “Don’t obsess about the numbers, obsess about the story. Don’t chase the numbers, chase the relationships.” Kylie was music to my ears. I think I need to hear Kylie speak again.
Pip Lincolne: Pip hardly needs any introduction from me. She has always spoken the soft language my soul craves for. From Pip I learnt how easy we forget the simple things that we should never forget. The things we should seek to define us. “Be brave. Be curious. Be supportive. Be humble.” I hope that one day such words define our society.
Beci Orpin: What a pocket rocket this woman is! In all of her petite, she is a wealth of adventure, stories and success. “Break the rules. Get involved. Make mistakes. Be flexible. Go above and beyond. Compromise. Reward yourself. Share ideas. Keep learning. Be nice and work hard.” When did we forget these simple mantras? We need to chase them and make them part of our every day.
Jo Walker: Ok, I may have gushed and felt like a total fan-girl when she walked on stage. “Mashed bananas and monkeys.” I may never approach a pitch in the same way again after Jo spoke. Rest assured Frankie fans, that magazine is all kinds of awesome, because Jo is all kinds of awesome.
Correne Wilkie: I could not write fast enough when Correne was speaking. Then I stopped writing, hoped someone was recording her presentation and just inhaled all her inspiration. “Out on a limb, not in safe places, that is where you do great work.” I hope that as I move forward all my work is done while I am out on a limb. A beautiful oak tree would be nice, sitting way up high, feet dangling from the branches. If you ever have the chance to hear Correne speak, please go.
I may have told a white lie at the start when I said that I shed all my expectations before the conference. I did walk into Big Hearted Business with two. I expected that eating vegetarian all weekend would leave me completely cavernous. I also expected, by some small miracle, that Dr Patrick Reid would come out on stage, or into the crowd, or slip into the back row where I was sitting and just stay for a while. Neither of these things happened. If anything I am in withdrawal from Joost and his amazingly delicious food. If I had a genie in a bottle I would wish for Joost to cook for me every-single-day.
As for Patrick, well, I had one of those moments that can only sink me into silence over the weekend. It was a silence that I needed to simply absorb the energy around me and allow it to soak through the layers of skin, down into my soul. Clare Bowditch is one of those people you meet and you just know she is different. By different I mean awesome and inspirational. Aside from her beautiful voice and contagious energy, she epitomises the ability to seek the change we need in life to be enlightened, to ask the questions and to follow our hearts. I sincerely hope that our paths cross again one day.
The most resounding message I walked away from Big Hearted Business is that this is the community I want to be a part of. There is a power in feeling connected, perhaps the greatest power.
Will you be attending Big Hearted Business 2015?
