I used to love telesummits and spent endless hours listening to them. I even thought of organizing one myself.   Right now however my head is busting with information I have no time to digest.  The thought of another telesummit makes me feel slightly nauseous.   So when a coaching friend said she was planning a telesummit I launched on just a little bit of a rant.

Yes I so much admired her bravery in undertaking such a big and challenging project.   But I begged of her ” do it differently, and whatever you do please don’t call it a  telesummit”.  By any other name it would sound so much sweeter!

Yes, and please not hours and hours of talking heads.  Some creative interludes, poetry, songs, whatever…. shorter punchier sessions.   A spa day, or retreat week for the soul – not a telesummit for the burnt-out brain.

My friend fortunately did not take offense.  She  emailed me later thanking me for my suggestions about how to make her online event something more “sizzly.”   Being how she’s such a creative soul, I can’t wait to see what she comes up with for her “UN- Telesummit! ”   I’ll tell you more when I hear.

Okay this is not an easy lesson. I mean I really would like things to be all perfect and just so, so right.  But nothing could be more wrong, wrong, wrong… than that endless trying to get it just right, right right!

Because pursuit of perfection most often leaves you missing opportunities, procrastinating, or taking an absolutely insane amount of time on details that don’t really matter.

Like the quest for the perfect website, which you keep changing, and never have time to build traffic for, or the article you prepare that you work on again and again, trying to polish every word until it becomes stale, stale, stale.

You see as every successful person emphasizes time and time again, it’s action that counts not the fact of being brilliant. And action that is imperfect.

Trying to be perfect has to be one of the most perfect ways of failing.

So my friends, lets drink to ” imperfection-ism”…..to swallowing our pride, making ourselves vulnerable and making all those god damn mistakes. Because perfection is just a pipe dream leading to paralysis, and death by analysis!

Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.

~ Helen Keller

Combining science, and storytelling Brene Brown delivers a heartfelt message about how embracing your vulnerability is the key to connecting with others, and experiencing joy, creativity and a sense of belonging.

I understand now that the vulnerability I’ve always felt is the greatest strength a person can have. You can’t experience life without feeling life. What I’ve learned is that being vulnerable to somebody you love is not a weakness, it’s a strength.
~ Elisabeth Shue

Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.

~ Albert Einstein

Check out Michelle Tocher’s upcoming workshop, “Fates and Fairy Godmothers.”

Michelle is brilliant. The work she does reclaiming the power of the fairy tale and the mythological realms is extraordinary.  I am signing up, as I love all her workshops and haven’t had a chance to do one recently. Would love to see you there!  Michelle describes this weekend workshop below:

“In fairy tales, fairies, fairy godmothers and godfathers play a vital role in people’s lives. They show up at birth, during critical times of life, and at death. Who are these peculiar figures? In this lively weekend workshop, we’ll meet them through you. Choose a character who fascinates you and we’ll gather them together to explore their stories—what they mean to you, and what they mean to us.”

Dates: Saturday, May 14; Sunday, May 15, 2011

Times: Saturday 1:30 – 4:30 pm, Sunday 1-4 pm

Venue: Northern District Public Library
Fee: $120

Space is limited so sign up soon!
 Go to: www.storytellingtoronto.org

There’s a lot being said right now about being authentic and real in your business practice and marketing. It’s another thing actually letting your guard down and being vulnerable in a way that opens the heart up of those you come in contact with.

Patrick Dominguez, provided a most endearing and powerful examples of this at the 2011 “Big Shift Experience.”

Patrick shared with us how his theme for 2011 is ” vulnerable visibility” and that in keeping with this theme he had agreed to be an integral part of the onstage part of this event.

You see Patrick usually likes to be behind the scenes. He’s a brilliant marketing person, who had stayed clear of public speaking and from being centre stage.
The thought of speaking in front of us all, had him in total fear mode in the time leading up to this event.

You would have never known it. Full of humorous stories, sharing his fears and his hopes and life experiences, his presentations were some of my favorites of the weekend. And believe me there were a lot of top-notch speakers!

For a number of years I was an adjudicator for the Canadian speaker’s bureau “Speakers Gold” yearly talent search. I witnessed a lot of talented speakers, with compelling stories, and many years of experience doing public speaking.

But what I witnessed with Patrick, was an amazing ease on stage, with an absolutely natural style.  He was free of staged” gestures, an overly memorized presentation, and  of any of the cliches often reverted to by some motivational speakers.

Out of facing one of his deepest fears, he had become a master in stage presence and authenticity.

Bravo Patrick. You inspired us all.

Ambition is the path to success. Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.

~ Bill Bradley

All human beings are also dream beings. Dream ties all humankind together.

– Jack Kerouac