I want to share some exciting news.

I have been invited to speak at an Living Extraordinary, an event hosted by Conscious Diva’s in Vancouver which I am beyond thrilled (and a little terrified) about! I will be standing up in front of over 400 people for seven minutes and speaking about something very close to my heart; a philosophy I believe in and take a stand for, Daring to Suck.

And in doing so, I will be Daring to Suck (DTS) in real time… LIVE. In front hundreds of people. Some of them I know, most I don’t.

*Gulp*

In a sick and twisted way, I really do LOVE this – because there’s nothing like showing people that even if I completely lose it on stage (which I hope I don’t) that it’s worth the risk. Because for me, after living this mantra and seeing the impact its had on my life, I want to SHOW others how to live this and not just talk about it.

The main reason I am sharing is about HOW this opportunity came to me. It’s a perfect example of what DTS is all about – because as much as people love to focus on the sucking parts, it’s really about the daring, trying, reaching beyond the familiar and caring more about the effort instead of the outcome.

So why is it such a good example?

Because when I first applied to speak with Conscious Diva’s last year, they said NO.

Don’t get me wrong, they said it nicely. But ‘No thank you’ is still NO.

And thank goodness for not being attached to the outcome because I received the NO happily feeling really proud that I tried and knew that if this was suppose to happen, it would – eventually. And left it at that.

So imagine my surprise when 6 months later, I’m going about my life and find a private message from Conscious Diva’s, Kate Muker waiting for me in Facebook. She shared that I had been short listed for their previous event last year and that she would like me to apply to speak at their next event in May.

WHA?!!

At first, I was more excited to hear that I was short listed last year. Like I just found out a boy I’d been crushing on LIKED ME BACK! HAHA! I was downright giddy about this because back when I applied, there was a part of me that was doubting if anyone cared about what I had to say. And here I was finding out that they did. Wow. So cool.

Then, as I let the request to speak sink in I was just in total awe of how this message found its way to me…

I NEVER saw it coming. It was a delightfully unexpected surprise!

Note that it was from efforts I made six months earlier.

If you get nothing else from DTS, what I want you to know is that when you start seeking out, pursuing and acting on things you want for your self – you are essentially planting seeds that will one day grow and come back to bare fruit.

Awesome fruit. Fruit you WANT. Fruit that makes you nervously giddy and excited! (okay enough on that metaphor). You get it.

Planting seeds for your ‘ultimate garden’ can be done in the simplest of things too – in attending events that spark your interests or hobbies, connecting with people that inspire or lift you up, leaping into conversations with strangers because something they said resonated with you. And yes, taking risks. Some bigger than others.

It’s more about exposure to life, aliveness and opportunity and leaning in to participate.

And here’s the thing….

Whatever you believe in – the Universe / God / Fate…. LOVES that shit.

… and apparently rewards us for getting in the game.

So do it. I dare you. See what happens and TELL ME where you’ve seen this happen to you too! We all need more stories like this that prove there is something bigger at play here, watching and co-creating on some level with and for us. I’m telling you, the more work I do with myself and with others, stories like this are everywhere and we need to share them.

I’m daring you to follow your urges and whatever hooks you attention and gives you a sense that there’s something more to it – dive in and see what it is. Indulge, try, practice, apply and SEE WHAT SHAKES OUT. Letting go of needing immediate results or validations.

Bottom line? We CANNOT plant seeds and harvest our garden at the same time. These things need time to germinate and grow at their own pace. Be patient and trust.

I also believe it’s our job to just KEEP PLANTING (and yes, I just heard Dorie from Nemo singing this in my head too) and to stay in the game and committed to our effort. Where we keep our success and celebrating in this place and enjoy the experience along the way. Whoop!

So there you have it – the latest result in my journey of daring and I hope you come out to listen to the amazing speakers I’m standing up there with.

My intention is to fully experience and be inspired by all that is shared that night and to get up, let go of whether people ‘like me’ or ‘get it’ and share my passion for this philosophy and let the chips fall where they may. Either way, it’s going to be a defining moment to start sharing my thoughts and experiences to a bigger group and I am ready.

I just hope I can hold the ugly gratitude cry off until I am off stage.

With love and a grateful heart for these unexpected delights,

Keri-Anne x