Behind the Curtain of BND DSGN

Another BND DSGN has come and gone…

As I reflect on all of the beautiful speakers, workshops gatherings, dinner conversations and parties…not to mention the 6 months of preparation and building..it’s awe inspiring how we all come together to make things better, to learn from each other and to discover who we are.

There is a shadow side to the intensity and build of this amazing moment in time; self doubt, over analyzing interactions, feelings of inadequacy, over exposure or imposter syndrome. This is the yin and yang of accelerated growth and discovery. As some dear friends mentioned over dinner “it’s a never ending cycle”, and he is right…

I am waking up to the fact that moments of illumination can be fleeting as I continue to swim through the layers of my shifting identity. It is so easy to compare, to think of success as something tangible, a place where you arrive and are accepted and loved. That is what the shadow side is for, to point out the places that are locked into a superficial societal“ideal” that misdirects the course of your life. As Arron LeMay so succinctly put it, it’s important to hit the “PAUSE” button and take moments of reflection.

As a shy introvert, being so visible, can be a challenge. But the love for the people I interact with pulls me far beyond my perceived limitations, and my heart (thankfully) always comes before my head can catch up and give me all of the reasons I shouldn’t (fill in the blank).

We are all so capable of so much more, there is so much to discover in the shadow and in the light if we can face ourselves without judgment. And isn’t that what all of this is for…?