Here are a few things I came away with after attending the World Domination Summit in Portland this week.

When you tell people you are going to a world domination conference, you get some weird looks. That kid in the pic above is no doubt thinking “What the heck is a world domination summit?” Luckily, this conference is about dominating your own world, not others, and for good, not evil. It is definitely a conversation starter, and that is important, because having those conversations is how we make the world a better place.

Smashing a world record is totally doable if you surround yourself with the right people. I had never imagined that I would be a world record holder in the Guinness book of world records, but here I am. A big kudos to Tyler and the WDS team for pulling off all the technical challenges/logistics in setting up the world’s longest yoga chain. All I did was show up, meet some awesome folks sitting around me, and then did some yoga. If you don’t know what a yoga chain is, think yoga dominoes, with each new pose running through the crowd one person at a time in a wave. Granted it was hot in the sun, and I did get a mild sunburn. But a little suffering makes the accomplishment that much sweeter! (I may be stretching the suffering here, it really was just a lot of fun.)

There is nothing like a crowd to remind me that I’m an introvert. I’ve got kind of a split extrovert/introvert personality. It is highly dependent on situation as to which side comes out. But big crowds in dark spaces with a lot of noise can really overwhelm my brain as it tries to process all the stimuli. Luckily the conference organizers are introvert friendly, and many of the activities were outdoors which really helped.

Travelers are my peeps. I went to a couple of participant-organized meetups every day, and really enjoyed the people I met at all of them. But the travel one put on by Travis Sherry and Jason Moore was without a doubt where I really fit in. It is awesome when you tell someone you are about to embark on a year-long backpacking adventure and their response isn’t “Why would you do that?” but instead is “Me too!” and “Make sure you don’t miss [insert awesome thing here]!”. I just wish I’d had more time to meet more people, I’m pretty sure I could’ve talked to anyone in that room and enjoyed myself.

The speakers were full of great ideas. Take imperfect action. Be bold. Say your dreams out loud. Stay insanely curious and see what sticks. What brave thing can I do today? Great people do things before they are “ready”. Say thank you. You are braver than you think you are. Be the superhero you already are.

More than anything I did, it is the people I met that I will remember most. There is something intoxicating about being surrounded by people all choosing to live intentional, unconventional and awesome lives. We share the same fears and doubts everyone else has, but instead of accepting them or being incapacitated by them, we try to overcome them. I met computer programers and coaches and authors and tour guides and bloggers and graphic designers and architects and teachers and athletes and podcasters and one girl who ran an orphanage in Thailand for 3 years who totally needs to write a book. The backgrounds and circumstances and goals were diverse, but the thing we had in common was a willingness to make unconventional choices to live extraordinary lives. The value in getting that kind of validation can not be overstated.

I’m not done with you, WDS. I can definitely see myself returning to WDS for another round of inspiration. And with one under my belt, I’ll be better prepared to make the most of it. Rather than wait for others to organize a meetup I want to attend, I’ll probably organize my own to select for the different groups of people I know I want to meet/hang out with. Backpackers, the Location Independent, and personal finance math nerds!

How about you? If you did go, do you think it was worth it? If you haven’t gone, would you be interested? Tell me in the comments below!

PHOTO CREDIT: Armosa Studios