I did it! I said “yes” to the invitation to attend REVITALIZE 2019 and I am so glad I did.
The health and wellness event sponsored by mindbodygreen was held right here in Tucson at the Ritz Carlton. As soon as I walked into the lobby, I could feel the energy buzzing all around me. Everyone was so excited to be there. I was kind of surprised to see all the young people that were in attendance. When I was their age, I wasn’t that interested in wellness so it was nice to see that times have changed. I think people of all ages are finally waking up to the fact that you can no longer take your health for granted. I was also surprised to learn that people had come from all over the world to attend Revitalize. I met folks from Ireland, London, Peru, Norway, Canada, and Australia. I had no idea this event would attract such a global community.
Once I got checked in, my first priority was to find the “gifting suite.” I know that might sound crazy but for years I have heard about the gifting suite and now I was finally going to be able to check it out. The gifting suite is basically a giant swag room filled with all sorts of goodies and everyone that attends Revitalize gets to stock up on whatever they want. Since I did pay to be at the event, I guess one could argue that the swag was technically not free but oh well. I had a blast checking out all the products and tossing them into my bag! Truth be told, that first day was not my only trip to the gifting suite so I’m pretty sure I got my money’s worth!
As I made my way to my casita lugging my santa bag filled with swag, I was feeling a little anxious because I was about to spend the weekend sharing a casita with a total stranger. That’s right, the cost of the event was based on a double occupancy room and since I did not know anyone going, they picked a roommate for me. I’m pretty sure the last time I walked into a situation like that was on my first day of college back in 1981 when I met my dorm roommate for the first time. Needless to say, I am much older (and quirkier) now so I was a bit more apprehensive. Thankfully, everything turned out fine. My roommate was a functional medicine doctor from Pennsylvania and we hit it off right from the start.
Every year Revitalize has a different theme and this year the discussions centered around longevity, consciousness and community. Based on recent statistics, these topics are not only timely but extremely relevant considering our current health crisis. Did you know that for the past three years, the average life expectancy in the U.S. has decreased? And a whopping 46% of adults report feeling lonely. Clearly we are losing the battle so it’s time to raise our awareness. And the lineup of speakers did just that.
John Mackey, co founder of Whole Foods was first up on Friday evening. He gave a heartfelt talk on consciousness and what it means to be a conscious leader. I know people think Whole Foods is just an overpriced supermarket, but as I listened to John speak, it was obvious that Whole Foods has been a labor of love for him. I found him to be truly genuine and very inspiring.
The speakers on Saturday were a collective of functional medicine doctors, ultra athletes, entrepreneurs, and MD’s from various fields of medicine. The topics of discussion ranged from habits for a long, healthy life, the power of sleep, the link between childhood trauma and adult onset disease, finding your purpose, the role of psychedelic drugs in the wellness world, and lastly, the role of love and the power of awareness in our lives.
In addition to the guest speakers, there were yoga and tai chi classes, early morning hikes, sound healing, cooking classes and even a makeup class! And, of course the food was amazing! Everything was gluten free and dairy free so for once I was not the pain in the butt customer asking a million questions at a restaurant.
As I took in all the knowledge and excitement of the weekend, by Saturday evening, I was starting to feel some “not enoughness” creep in. By Sunday morning, I knew it was full on when I went to breakfast and wanted to sit at a table by myself instead of joining others at a community table. So what’s “not enoughness?” It’s that little voice in my head that whispers things like “you are not doing enough,” “you are not making enough” “you are not successful enough.” You get the idea. Have you ever heard that voice? It happens to me a lot especially when I put myself out there at events like this. I end up meeting people in the wellness industry and hearing all about the things that they are doing with their business. And that’s when things can go south pretty quickly.
But here’s the reality. My worth is not a product of my intelligence, my looks, my talents or how much money I make. We are born worthy. Our voice and our power are the gifts inside of us and no one can take that away. When we tap into that wellspring and truly believe that we are worthy then everything is possible.
I love affirmations and I heard a great one by Hill Harper at Revitalize. As he looked out into the audience, he said, “You are FINE. You are Fantastic, Interesting, Necessary and Exceptional.” Fantastic…..Interesting……Necessary……..Exceptional. I LOVE it! It’s the perfect antidote to feeling unworthy.
So the next time you start slipping into “not enoughness,” stop for a moment and tell yourself “I am FINE….I am fantastic, I am interesting, I am necessary and I am exceptional.” Repeat this until you feel it in every muscle, every bone and every cell in your body. Continue repeating until you truly believe that you are more than enough and that everything is possible.
Have a FINE day 🙂
P.S.
Anyone recognize this guy? I spotted him in the hallway at Revitalize and had to have a photo with him. He is so little….I felt like I was hugging my nana….lol!!
