Finding Your Own Way at the World Domination Summit

It’s 2am in local time in London. I’m wide awake thanks to the abrupt time change (yesterday we were in Portland). Perfect time for a post.

Ever since Michelle and I quit our jobs and our conventional life pathway 4-years ago, I tend to have an annual freak out. This happens about once a year that centers around this question, “What am I doing with my life?”

It usually occurs during a lull in our lives. I find myself looking at countless Facebook and LinkedIn profiles to tell me what I should be doing with my life. I start to compare. I start to wonder if I’m doing the “right” things. Am I living the “right” way?

The World Domination Summit (WDS)

A year ago, Michelle and I participated in our first, World Domination Summit (I tried my best to explain what WDS in this previous post from last year).  It was the first time since college that I felt I was right where I needed to be. I was surrounded by others who were asking a similar question to what I was except that WDS had a much better way of asking it:

“How can we live a remarkable life in a conventional world?” 

That’s really what I was trying to figure out. I’ve been trying to write my own story, determine my own life path to follow, and embrace what it means to be me in a world that says otherwise. Our world is dominated by conventional thought that says success looks a certain way, usually centered around money, possessions, and fame.That our life story should take a specific path; e.g. you grow up, you go to school, you get a job, you get married, you retire, and you live out your days doing something until your story ends. I’m not saying this is a bad life. What I’m saying is that this is not my life. It just so happens that there are many others who believe life could and should be different.

That’s why being at WDS is unlike any other conference in the world. No matter who you are whether you are an attendee, an Ambassador (volunteer), or core team member, WDS some how unites us all to challenge these conventional themes. We celebrate and learn from each other’s unique pathways. We know there are so many different ways to live our own lives. We want to define success in our own terms.

Every year for the past five years, people have gathered in Portland at this summit to create a special experience. No matter where you come from, where you are at, you are reminded of how special it is to be you and you find connection with others working through similar, big life questions. WDS has reminded me that no matter what cool or unique things we are each doing in our own lives, we are also universally tied together as human beings.  The simple truth is that we are all human and all struggle to make sense of what our lives should be about.

What’s next for us? We aren’t exactly sure other than to keep doing what we are doing. We’ll keep living unconventionally until it becomes apparent that we need to make a change. What we’ve learned is to be open to evolution. Our lives are a process, not so much a goal or destination to be achieved. WDS has encouraged and reminded us that the only “right” way to live our lives, is our own way.