Last Sunday was the hottest day of the summer in NYC so far. I was walking by Union Square after having had a light lunch but the humidity was SO STRONG that I felt like I had just eaten a large pizza instead of a quinoa salad.
I’m strolling around looking for a café to sit and write. It was so hot that just standing there, you felt beads of sweat accumulating in places that are *ahem* uncomfortable. So it was taking all my physical and mental strength to think about what I want to write to you all about. I had just got back from The World Domination Summit in Portland – which sounds a lot more aggressive than it is – and I had so much to share with you about the amazing speakers I saw.
But somewhere between the humidity and the thousands of ideas, I felt like I was wading in a pool of unclear thoughts. Suddenly, I look up from my NY-paced pedestrian slalom course, and who do I see walk RIGHT past me? Deepak Chopra. Like THE DEEPAK CHOPRA.
He was crossing the street, looking equally-pained by the sweltering heat. You can bet your ass I had a moment where I wanted to run after him yelling “Deepak, my hero, I love you! Let’s take a selfie!!!!!!” but seeing him hunched over and dragging his feet, just trying to make it to the other side of the street just like the rest of us, had me think twice about exhibiting lunatic fan behavior.
I thought, “Man, even Deepak Chopra can’t meditate his way through this heat.”
And I laughed, remembering how often we keep having to remind ourselves to take people off the pedestal.
Speaking of pedestals, I got to meet and spend time with so many amazing people who I admire last week at WDS. Liz Dialto and her partner Mike Hrostoski, whose raw transparency about their relationships makes my heart soar. Charmaine Haworth who is a true warrior of the heart and Bob Schwenkler & Natalie Vartanian who host Sex the Podcast.
(In fact Bob & Natalie will be in the same FREE telesummit next month as me. It’s called Passion, Power & Purpose and is hosted by Nabill Idrissi. SIGN UP HERE if you want to hear from some wise peeps & myself for FREE!)
But the person who reallllllly impressed me more than ANYONE else at WDS was KID PRESIDENT!!!!
Do you know this guy? He is amazing. Him, and his uncle brought me to tears with their raw and simple message:
L
O
V
E
As adults, it’s so easy for us to overcomplicate it all. Strategy, plans, bills, details. When asked what we want, we delve into the details of wanting a house and a good health plan and 2 new products for our business and enough money to indulge in spa visits and pay the babysitter and travel and and and … And suddenly everything gets super complicated.
But I bet if you asked your little girl what she wanted, her answers would be A LOT simpler. Maybe she wants more giggles, and more hugs, and more flowers and more cartoons. Ask her.
And I’m not saying don’t pay your bills. I’m saying don’t let your bills rob you of seeing what you do have! We don’t get itemized sheets of all the things we give to the world. All the plus moments. The time you spend with your kids, or your sister’s kids. The smiles you give strangers. The yoga class or kale salad that you chose for your body. Nope, we just see the negatives in the bank account.
Kid president, and his uncle who is the brains behind the project, brought me to my knees. In their world, it’s simple.
- Be kind
- Dance
- Treat everyone like it’s their birthday every day.
Revolutionary, right? You might laugh. But it really is.
What would happen if we just took these 3 principles and applied them for the next week. Or month. Or Year! How much easier would everything look? Try it out. Or even better, ask your little girl, what are the 3 principles she wants you to try on?
And if this doesn’t resonate with you, then I challenge you to write out an itemized list of all the ways YOU brought value to the world.
You don’t have to put a $ to it because it’s priceless but I want you to acknowledge all the things you have and all the things you gave to the world this month that don’t show up on that visa bill. Go on. Then take a pic and send it to me!
And I’ll leave you with this. During the Q&A, one guy asked Kid President who he wanted to be when he grew up. His response: “When I grow up, I’m going to try and be a kid.”
Now that, my friends, is WISDOM.
With pleasure,
Nadia
P.S. I am starting a community call 1-2 times a month for all the pleasure-seeking ladies in the community and I’m offering you all FOUR months of access for free. Our first call will be next Tuesday 7/28 at 5pm EST. If you want in (or access to recording), you have to email Jessica at infoatpleasureplate@gmail.com
P.P.S. Here are some other beautiful takeaways from WDS, if you want to geek out with me:
Megan Devine: “Not trying to fix the pain in a radical act”
Jon Acuff: “Bravery is a choice not a feeling”
I cannot POSSIBLY sum up Dr. Lissa Rankin’s speech with one sentence because EVERY SENTENCE WAS GOLD. So instead, I ask you just check our her amazing work here.