Launch Out 2016 is over. Echos of those final goodbyes have faded. Our ways have parted. We now cling to memories of #AllTheHugs as tightly as the original embrace. Online acquaintances have become like treasured family members. Life has shifted. Nothing is the same anymore.
Two days of intersecting inspiration is complete. Months of preparation by the incredible host team and presenters paid off. Our tanks are full but we are spent. We are living in the tension of our dreams and our days. Nothing is the same anymore.
The irony was rich…wearing a t-shirt that audaciously declared to the world that I was one who would “Go CONFIDENTLY in the Direction of Your Dreams” while wearily ticking off the miles on my journey back to my ordinary life… maybe you felt it too. But ordinary life isn’t so ordinary anymore, is it? The truth is, it never was. Now we know that. And nothing is the same anymore.
Let me share a moment of perspective again. The infamous LaunchOut hangover may be settling in. But I have a secret. I know the antidote. It doesn’t protect against every obstacle, but it helps with re-entry.
Back in my college days I knew a few people who were pros at beating hangovers. I’ve culled some lessons I learned
from them and have them here just for you.
- It was called “hair of the dog.” The cause of your hangover can also be the cure. Those guys I knew in college swore that if you never were sober, you’d never have a hangover. While this probably isn’t the best advice when it comes to the intake of toxins, it is great advice for dreamers. Even though our lives aren’t continually intersecting like at LaunchOut, our dreams still are. Yes, LaunchOut is a conference, but it’s also a state of mind. You can shift your perspective at any time. Be bold. Hold tight. Keep stepping in the direction of your dreams.
- Community. When hangovers hit, there is nothing like a good buddy to help you through. When obstacles arise, reach out to someone you connected with or even someone you just wish you had. You don’t have to dream alone, so don’t. And if you reached out to someone and they didn’t respond, it’s possible they had #allthenotifications and simply missed yours. Reach out again. Please.
- Jump on the wagon. Falling off the dreamwagon hurts. What I’ve learned from LaunchOut (and the Tulsa 5 Club)
Scan the horizon is that dreaming and launching works better together. My dream might not line up exactly with your dream, but as Jerrod pointed out in the opening keynote, if you find someone heading in the direction you want to go, jump on their bandwagon. Dreaming has a way of exploding when it’s done together.
- Perspective. You know I’m a big fan of perspective. I’m convinced many people experience a post-launch hangover because they’re looking for it. They are expecting to crash after the launch. This is where I think Randy’s vision is so brilliant… we didn’t launch a rocket, we launched a sailboat. You know what that means? Even if you drift a bit, you didn’t crash. You’re still out on the ocean. Check the wind, trim the sails, and enjoy the view. Climb up into the crow’s nest and focus on the horizon instead of your hangover.
There you have it. Tried and true remedies for the infamous but mythical LaunchOut hangover.
Keep dreaming, folks. Keep doing, too. Nothing is the same anymore.