From the Founder, June 2019
Happy June!
This is my birthday month so I always do a lot of thinking around this time of year.(Let’s be honest, I do a lot of thinking at every time of year, for better or worse!)
I’ve also recently returned from another amazing Summit Tulum experience which left me feeling inspired, energized and reflective. I had so many moments during my Tulum weekend that were awakenings (or reminders). First of all, I went into the weekend with the intention of being completely present and open, and committed to meeting new people – this is fundamental to what Summit is about and something I try to do each time I’m part of one of these events – that said, it’s always easier and more comfortable to hang out with the people I know already. But getting outside of my comfort zone is a big part of why the Summit experiences are meaningful for me, so I committed to being vulnerable, hanging out with people I don’t know, being comfortable in the alone or quiet moments and fully showing up.
There were several very special experiences throughout the weekend, including “fast friends” (essentially speed dating with new Summiters), a masculinity workshop (I was curious about this because I’ve created a series of femininity workshops and as it turns out, both this and mine are geared at opening things up and allowing us to be comfortable with, even embrace, our vulnerability), a red clay meditation (best part is when you float in the ocean and the clay washes off of you) and finally, the Magic of Human Connection workshop with Jessica Encell Coleman (this is something I’ve heard about for years and yes, it lives up to its hype). Overall, the weekend was magical: the people, the content, Tulum (obviously!), and I allowed myself to soak it all in.
I left with a warmth. A sense of feeling filled up. And a desire to share that with everyone around me. At Summit events you say hi to everyone. You smile at people as they walk by you. It’s sincere. You’re sharing an experience and acknowledge it through every interaction. As is often the case, I left the event wanting to continue sharing that energy. I came back to Venice smiling more, sharing more and creating more energy (as Jessica put it, we’re each our own renewable source of energy… we’re creating energy all the time. I love that.)
My grandfather, who was my ultimate role model and mentor, always used the phrase “Keep Smiling” – it has become an important mantra in my life. I always understood it to mean that no matter what is happening around us, good or bad, if we keep smiling all will be ok. I started thinking about this phrase after I left Tulum and developed an addendum: Keep Smiling isn’t just about when times are tough and you grin and bear it. It’s about smiling, period. Good times, bad times, all times. Studies have shown that if you smile, it actually makes you feel better. I think it might be because you’re tapping into your renewable energy source and creating energy that’s good for you and everyone around you. It makes me smile thinking about it.
This might be one of my cornier posts, I know. I’m ok with it. A friend of mine asked if this feeling from Summit lasts. I’ll admit, it was stronger when I first got back and was riding the high of the weekend. That said, I do feel a meaningful and permanent shift. And I can tap back into the feeling whenever I take myself back there and remind myself to Keep Smiling.
xx,
Amy