I attended the Shine Adventure event organised by the amazing Martha Fraser in 2016. She had a dream to run this event and she and her team did so very successfully. The aim of the day was to support people to shine online.
It was almost a year ago since I headed off on my own to an event. I had mixed emotions about attending. A part of me was excited to go and get out of my insular world which I have been living in since I left my job a few months ago, I was looking forward to a change of scenery and meeting some online friends in person. I also feel at home in Galway City as I lived and worked there many moons ago! Yet, there was another part of me that did not feel comfortable. As someone who is highly sensitive to the energy around me, being in large groups can sometimes feel uncomfortable and draining for me.
I travelled to Galway Friday evening in order to be up bright and early to attend the Shine Adventure Event. My sleep was somewhat broken but I awoke feeling good and refreshed. I grounded myself as usual before leaving for the event and did a lovely Colour Meditation. My landlady was kind enough to allow me to leave my car at her house to save getting parking in the City so I headed off to the bus stop.
I found myself getting nervous before I reached the bus stop, I had seen a bus just take off, even though my landlady told me they come every ten minutes I found myself fretting. I didn’t want to be late as I hate walking into any event late! I also noticed that my introverted self rose to the surface and some anxiety around mixing with strangers came up. What did I do? I started tapping at the bus stop and brought in colour to calm my energy system and to bring in confidence. Thankfully I was the only one waiting for the bus and I didn’t care if people in cars passing saw me because I did not know them anyway. I felt calmer and more relaxed, hopped on the bus and travelled into the City.
I entered the hotel feeling good in myself and headed up to the room. Now for us sensitive, introverts out there being in a room full of people can be daunting. I always sit near the end of a row and near a door so that I can move in and out easily if I need to use the bathroom or if I feel uncomfortable at any stage. Can you relate?
The room filled up with people and the event started. I listened to Martha Fraser and other amazing speakers throughout the morning. I was still feeling very relaxed and felt I was in a room full of people on the same mission as myself which is to have a successful online business.
Then it was time for a tea break and mixing and mingling!! Extroverts seem to thrive off this but we introverts don’t necessarily find it so easy! Large numbers of people were gathered around the tea table. Being in that space does not appeal to me so I stayed on the outskirts and was then joined by a lovely lady with who I chatted freely with. As I looked around the room, I noticed there were others who were standing around in twos or on their own?
Were they like me, an introvert? Perhaps they were!
I know for sure from other conversations throughout the day that there were others in that room who felt anxious about going to that event and mixing and mingling with strangers, but because they are following their passion of having a successful business, they made a conscious effort to attend. Some people may assume we are stuck up or aloof but I know that it is sometimes because there is internal unrest going on which prevents people from connecting with others, anxiety which holds people back from relaxing and taking part as much as others do easily. Fear of saying something “wrong”, uncomfortable self-consciousness and lack of self-confidence can be quite debilitating, but the good news is all of this can be released energetically.
Will we turn into extroverts? No, but we can and will build on our inner confidence, our inner strength and release the anxiety and stress which holds us back from stepping outside our comfort zone. Sometimes we just need a few minutes away from the crowd to recharge our energy and to return ready for more information and learning.
I was delighted that I attended the Shine Adventure event. I was inspired by the speakers and their tips. Some of the technical stuff went over my head but I don’t need to know all of that. Being in a room full of great inspiring people raises our energy and brings confidence that we can succeed too. We feed off others energy and success and it inspires us to keep moving forward. I have connected with some wonderful people after the event and I know they will be instrumental in supporting me on my journey. So if like Martha, or myself you have a dream, and you think that by being a sensitive introvert you won’t succeed, think again. The world needs us, people are waiting for us to show up. Don’t let anxiety and fear hold you back from attending events or shining online.
If you can identify with any of what I speak of I would love to hear from you. If you wish to have a chat about how I can support you on your journey please do get in touch by emailing me at dervillaclarke@outlook.com to arrange a 20-minute complimentary call.Shine bright like a diamond x