It is about 4 weeks since the World Domination Summit that i’m writing this. I’m still feeling the vibes and thinking about that amazing weekend in Portland, Oregon. This would be the second year that I attended WDS. I was excited and prepared to just have a good time, learn, meet new people, and hang out with anyone and have some adventure! But unknown to me it would be THAT plus more. This is the weekend where I finally broke out of my shell of shyness and take on the world. And a weekend that I WILL NEVER FORGET!!!

It all began the week of WDS. They just released the WDS.fm site, I remembered this fondly from last year. I knew that there would be a race just like last year and I was curious what challenges they had for us in store this year. I remembered, during last year’s race I finished 37th overall, so I wanted to see if I could improve upon that.

So I started looking at the task;

• Finish your WDS profile
• Set a goal for your visit and share it
• Take a picture of yourself with one of this year’s speaker’s books.

Upon seeing these, I thought, “easy enough”, then there was task like;

• Record a video about why you’re excited about WDS
  
• Take a picture with a pilot on your journey to Portland
• Write and record a WDS song
• Steal a metal airline spoon (must show airline logo)

And seeing this, I honestly thought: Oh crap!!! Really?!!! I don’t know about this! Literally fear stuck me. But after a few minutes of thinking about it, i decided, what’s the worst that can happen with doing each of these task. I knew that I had to do these task in order for me to do better this year but also just to have fun. From last year, I fondly remembered the fun and excitement of competing in the race. But in the back of my head there still was the thought of holy crap, will I look stupid, will I sound weird?

So I decided to do what I could do. I told myself do what I could do and see where it goes. I started with the easy task. Now fast forward… to getting through the easy stuff, now to tackling the harder task.

First on the list – Flying to Portland: Take a picture with a Flight Attendant!

Then take a picture with a Pilot.

Taking these two photos took a little bit of courage for me to undertake. The reason being, I don’t usually just “do” things like this. I’m usually the guy, that will just not do it because I think it will burden the person and get the “no” response. And the thought of rejection, made me scared to even try. But I’m glad that I did and I had my great friend Randy along with me to help me get these two things done!

Randy and later my buddy Joe, whom I met last year, was a big part of helping me get through a lot of the task. They both encouraged, supported, and just made it fun to undertake all these tasks.

That was one of the things that I was so appreciative and humbled by during the race.  It was the help and encouragement of everyone involved along the way. There was more than a handful of people that helped along the way. I always felt weird telling them that I was in the top three during the race and then upon hearing that they wanted to just help keep me there. Everyone always ask, what I can I do help?! And for me that was something new.  For me the thought of people that I just met, wanting to help me just like that, was truly a humbling experience. It was with this that I found the courage to the following two task.

Task #3: Write and record a WDS song.

Task #4: Sing a song about WDS to a stranger

Another awesome thing that I learned from the race is that you just have to go for it! And this following task made that happen for me.

This was the first time I rode a mechanical bull. It was a ton of fun and I couldn’t have seen myself riding one. But the unconventional race task provided me an opportunity to do such a thing.  And having a great crew of San Diego WDS peeps cheering me along helped too!  It was tasks like this that made me get out of my shell and see where it would go.

DRAMATIC PAUSE!

But just when I thought it was almost complete.  In true Reality TV fashion, there was a final task!  “A Final Task?!” I thought after receiving the phone call from Nicky.  “A Limerick in front of EVERYONE?!”  I was struck with fear, excitement, nervousness, and everything imaginable.  After collecting myself; I told my friends Randy and Joe, that I had do the limerick and recite it in front of everyone.

The challenge first was write the Limerick.  I haven’t wrote one since elementary school but I had to write one or something like it NOW and with only two hours to spare.  And just like that, I had some the greatest friends to help me out.  And this was the Limerick or something like a limerick.

There was once a very shy guy.

Who was scared to even try.

He ran through the hall.

Wearing not much at all.

Now’s he’s go the courage to say HI!

Photo courtesy of Armosa Studio. http://armosastudios.com

Standing up in front everyone was seriously, just a WOW!  Very humbling.

The race was truly one of those little surprises that you undertake just for the fun of it and in the end you learn and grow more as a person. Here’s a few lessons that I learned from the race that I think a lot of people can relate too.

1. Just ASK
2. Just do it.
3. Friends will ALWAYS be there to support you no matter what.
4. When opportunities present themselves take them and have an adventure.
5. Challenges and tasks are there to let you explore, learn, and grow.
6. Making friends is as easy as, asking; “How are you? Can I buy you a coffee?”
7. The end goal is not as important as the journey.
8. Plan accordingly but be flexible.
9. Work Hard and stay humble.
10. ALWAYS HAVE FUN!!!