I had an amazing weekend doing something that I've dreamed of for a very long time.
I was able to share my love for mindfulness and yoga with a large group of fitness professionals at the SCW Mania conference in Dallas, TX.
I have been presenting at conferences, for fitness groups at Universities and other guest lecture opportunities for the past 10+ years, but this conference was different. Dallas Mania was my first ever fitness conference and gave me a glimpse into what it is like to continue to grow and learn into adulthood.
For someone who is passionate about education, this was a dream!
So, needless to say, I felt really, truly nervous about presenting for the first time in a long time!
My first presentation was on "The 8 M's of Modern Meditation" and, to make matters more nerve-wracking, when I got on stage I looked out and gulped... There were multiple other presenters and former co-workers in the audience. "Girl," I said to myself, "you better bring it."
After I finished the workshop (and recieved many positive compliments) I was starving and decided my best bet for quick food was to head up to the presenter lounge. (I promise this is going somewhere.)
As I walked in the room, I heard a voice I didn't recognize say "Gretchen's in the house!" and the woman, who I now know as Connie Warsila - the fabulous Water In Motion choreographer, continued to praise me (in front of other presenters and SCW staff) on how great my session was and compliment me on my teaching style.
This whole story, though, is not about me. It is about what lifting up other women really looks like. About how EASY it really is. It doesn't have to be a long drawn out blog post (lol) or a 2-hour conversation about her strength at a local coffee shop. It can be as simple as being her cheerleader. Connie didn't know I needed that validation. She had no way of knowing that I had been very nervouse that morning. She just knew that I did a good job and she wanted to acknowledge that. What a breath of fresh air!!
When Sunday rolled around and I entered my last session, there were no nerves left. (Also no strength left in my body, but such is the way at fitness conferences.) The positive power of women supporting women is an amazing thing you guys.
Let's share more stories like this, when have you been lifted up, out-of-the-blue, by another woman?
Until next time,
