last week, i met 150 people who have set out to change the world.

no, seriously.  at first i thought they were crazy … and at the very least - bold!  now, perhaps that i think about it, they may just be a little of both.

you see, i was gathered together with yogis, runners, and other athletes by lululemon athletica, to visit their heartland in Vancouver for their first ever, lululemon ambassador summit.

(photo by pat young)

secretly, i wondered what they REALLY wanted with me. why they put me up in this fancy hotel, arranged magnificent meals, showered me with gifts, and provided all sorts of inspiration and individual support at every turn.

i knew there must be a catch.  and it wasn’t long before i realized what it was … they want ME to help them with their bold, crazy ideas.

so i employed the tactic i learned way back in grade school – don’t make eye contact.  i didn’t want them to call on me and discover they’d just made a terrible mistake inviting me.  because i’m no gandhi or martin luther king.  i’m just a middle-aged mom who likes to practice and teach yoga in her spare time.  i write a blog that perhaps you and 10 others (that include my mom) read. i love to eat and i hate to cook.

sorry lulu - you may have missed your mark of greatness with this one.  i just don’t see how i can help you.

but, heck – i didn’t want to make them feel bad, so i stayed, mingled, and just tried not to get myself kicked out.  not surprisingly - i met some really and truly awesome people …

like susan*.  who is a ph.d history professor and fitness/yoga instructor, looking for a way to merge these two professions - bringing positive affirmations and validation into both arenas.  so far, she is finding that even in nyc, a city driven by skepticism, that yes she can! and students flock to her for that light she shines.

there was jennifer*, who recently left her uber successful job and long time home in the east and moved to the west, seeking a different quality of life. she was driven only by her intuition and faith.  after an “oh shit” moment at the baggage claim, wondering what the heck she just did … she is now delighting in  the land of possibilities she has bravely stumbled upon. 

or how about matthew*.  he decided that his home town was craving a kind of peaceful place where they could stay healthy, strong, and connected with their community.  so this father of three concluded his career in fire prevention and started a raging fire right there where he lived – by opening a yoga studio with a burning desire to serve. 

each one of these people i met were enjoying a courageous new world of their own creation. and there were about a hundred more just like them.  each person came with their own story of greatness and individual success. i heard again and again how they had each taken risks, changed their lives, left the safety of their port and set sail with the winds of a dream and their intention as the compass.

true, there were Olympians amongst us.  (how cool was that?!)  but they were no different than the rest of those gathered.  because each and every one was just trying to be their own personal best with whatever gifts and talents they possessed. 

each one was making a difference for themselves – and for others.  and within each personal story
was a torch of inspiration that together - lit the whole freakin’ city!

so i get it now.  lululemon wasn’t expecting ME to be the one who saves the earth or creates world peace … just one of the many trying.  i don’t have to win a gold medal or discover a cure for cancer – i just have to be willing to look for possibilities in my own life and be generous with who i am and who i could become.

simple.  yet powerful. 

so powerful, it must might change my life … and yours … and those we meet … and those we love … our neighborhoods … our communities … and dare i say it? …

… the world.

photo by shirley glua

*the names have been changed to protect the humility of the great.