A couple years ago I went to a 4 day event in La Conner, Washington. 
Choosing to go was a complete no-brainer. But following through on my choice was very hard for me.
It felt hard to decide that it would be okay to leave my kids for 4 days (with their extremely responsible father who cares for them all day long, mind you. Not exactly leaving them).
It felt hard for me to take the time away from my clients. It felt hard to justify attending something in person, 2400 miles away, in this day and age of being able to see anything you could possibly want online from home with no flights, hotels, or leaving kids necessary.
And this is how it often goes, isn’t it? Your concerns might be different than mine, but it’s so often the case that we know what we want to do instantly, deeply, quickly. That’s why they call it a “no-brainer”—you aren’t thinking about it. You’re following your gut, fueled by subtle wisdom.
And then we do a lot of thinking and worrying and second-guessing that makes our no-brainer decision feel difficult.
We turn it into a “brainer” and when we do, that ease and certainty appear to fly out the window.
(If you’re interested in more on this, I wrote an in-depth article about it a couple years ago, as it was happening in real life).
Anyway, I went to the event in La Conner and it changed my life, no doubt about it. It was one of the best decisions I ever made, as my gut suggested it would be.
I found that shortly after I left my house, all of my “brainer” worries were unfounded. The kids were fine (maybe better off with a break from me), the clients were fine (also perhaps better off with a break!), and being live, in that room, feeling the energy and connecting in real life with other people who were exploring the same things I was exploring…well, that was the life changing part.
I learned my lesson. The following year when a couple close friends I had met in La Conner wanted to travel together to a different 4 day event, I instantly said yes.
Then, my mind went to the same worries that were proven untrue before. The kids, the missed work, the “is this necessary?” But I knew enough at that point to let those worries float around and do what I knew to do anyway.
And that next live event was just as powerful. Traveling away from home, stepping outside of your everyday thoughts, being around others who are looking in the same direction—it opens your mind to insight in a really special way.
I left those events having seen things that have shifted the foundation in my understanding of life. Far more deeply and quickly and profoundly than conference calls or watching videos from home ever did.
So you know, there are a couple live events coming up that I’m hosting. One later this month in Ann Arbor, and one in April in Barcelona.
And what I want to say to you is this: If you read about those events and they feel like a no-brainer on some level, before your critical mind turns them into a “brainer”, consider what I’ve shared here.
I’m not saying “Come to these events! Set your worries aside and just come!”
If they don’t awaken some excitement in you and you don’t feel that pull, they probably aren’t for you.
But if you do feel the pull and your mind is full of reasons why you can’t go, know that that’s normal. That’s just what minds do. You might do really well to let your mind chatter about what-ifs and details, while you start packing your bags.
I am so glad that’s what I did.
