In mid-August, I attended a life-changing workshop. In just five days, I changed my eating habits, discovered what it feels like to be truly aware of my body, had a direct experience of being one with everything, and owned up to my having had one foot out the door of my relationship since it began. I also learned what it means to be fully present in each moment; the downside is that it has been a challenge to hold onto thoughts long enough to write about them, hence the big blogging hiatus.
Then again, had I written about my experience within a day or two of my return, how credible would my testimonial be? In 2007, I attended a three-day financial-mindset-improvement workshop where I acquired useful information. For at least three days after it ended, I claimed to be “transformed.” Except, not so much.
The key to change is something so simple and close to us that we fail to notice it. In fact, it’s with us all the time, but we can’t see it until we look into the right kind of mirror: the face of another.
Maybe you’ve heard it said that others are just mirrors of ourselves. Maybe you believe it. I had said it, myself, and believed it.
And then I experienced it. Completely.
Now, my wish is that every person on the planet could attend the Illumination Intensive or a similar workshop with a teacher who has trained with WarriorSage.
The work is done in dyads, wherein two people alternate between being the speaking partner and the listening partner. The speaking partner responds to, “Tell me who you are,” or another prompt, and the listening partner says, “Thank you,” (and ONLY “Thank you,”) when he or she has heard and understood the response. Dyads are confidential and consist of new partners every time, and each is approached as though it were the first, because each one truly is a new experience.
Every time I thought, “I couldn’t possibly have anything in common with that person,” I was humbled. Without exception, every person who sat before me presented a reflection of myself. And, I had the unique privilege of being witness to the full range of others’ emotions, from elation to grief, and sharing my own.
The staff created an amazingly safe space to “go deep,” and the love in the room was palpable. To ensure that everyone has an intensely personal experience, couples who attend the workshop are encouraged to steer clear of each other throughout the process, and they are not allowed to room together. My partner and I agreed to alternate between sides of the room each day and scarcely made eye contact until the last evening, when I said I realized I’d had one foot out the door, forever, and it was received with a simple, “Thank you.”
I don’t think I’ve ever been “all in” before. It’s pretty nice.
In the interest of full disclosure, I will receive EXACTLY NOTHING if you sign up for the Illumination Intensive or any other WarriorSage event. I am not an affiliate. Not yet, anyway. I intend to attend more events, and I would love to become a trainer someday, but for now, I am merely somebody whose has been rocked to the core of her being.
I hope you will treat yourself to this amazing experience. After you do, please come back and tell me who you are.
On May 20, 2009, Drew Olanoff was diagnosed with stage 3 Hodgkins lymphoma. 28 years old and embarking on a new job with the mobile startup 
In 2006, Will Bowen had a famous idea: stop complaining, gossiping, or criticizing, and encourage others to follow suit. His goal was to make it 21 full days—the scientifically-recommended time needed to create a new behavior—complaint-free. Any uttered complaint, gossip or criticism would reset the count to day one; negative thoughts would carry no such penalty.
Jen Foster, who would have “given [her] left arm for a major record deal” at 21, became an independent artist/songwriter/publisher because she was “too stubborn to quit.” She chooses to wake up famous every day by doing whatever it takes to stay true to herself. As she says in her 
Admit it. At some point, you’ve imagined what you’d say if you won an Academy Award. Or a Grammy, a Tony, an Obie or a Clio. Chances are, the speech begins with these four words: I’d like to thank.
As a freelance writer, I spend a fair amount of time perusing Writing Gigs on craigslist.org and various other web sites, where there are always a lot of people trying to get something for nothing. Depending on my mood–and current workload–my response to these would-be slave drivers ranges from highly amused to moderately annoyed. The more ridiculous the request for free labor, the more likely another freelancer will write a post that: (a) blasts the original poster and (b) appeals to freelance virgins not to “give it away.”
In a word: Ick.
You have decided to wake up famous every day. You have a product or service that is valuable to others in some capacity, and you are committed to excellence. It is time to come to terms with the phrase “shameless self-promotion” and what it means to you because: (a) you should be doing it, and (b) you will be accused of doing it.
While you are busy being the best possible version of yourself, remember that you, too, are human. Unless you’re a Virgo (or perhaps especially if you are a Virgo), your ups will be counterbalanced by some downs. Dr. Seuss warned about them in Oh, the Places You’ll Go!: