Adlergasse 11 – or why the ABCstar blogger conference was food for the soul!
It is saturday evening and I am sitting in a cosy greek restaurant in Linz. I feel slightly humid from the rain and I have not been this exhausted in a while. I am thinking about the ABCstar blogger conference that I just attended and emotionally I am swaying between inspiration, an overflow of new ideas and panic..
Panic? Why? Because I realize at that moment, that for me there is no going back. I decided to start a new future in a direction that I had not anticipated. I stare out of the window at the streetsign hanging on the other side: “Adlergasse 11”..and I smile 🙂
While I thoroughly enjoy some garlic mussels, I think about all of the revelations I had in the past days. The participants, the speakers and the organizers were all inspiring, and although I learned so much more, I would like to share the insights with you, that touched me the most:
- BE COURAGEOUS: take responsability for your life! In the end, when you look back, you won’t be able to blame anyone else but yourself for failing to do what you wanted. Your limits are often those of other people. Do not listen to anyone that says: it can’t be done! (Ali Mahlodji)
- If you want to change something, do it now – ” We live our lives like we have all the time in the world to do things later” (Ali Mahlodji)
- „The best things in life are on the other side of fear“ (Will Smith). I am proud that I had the courage to go – I was terrified. (Many thanks to the charming blogger süchtignach.at for the encouraging tipps)
- Be authentic and honest (Ali Mahlodji)! You are a unique and wonderful person, and there are enough fakes in this (digital) world..
- Don’t waste your or anybody else’s time: have the courage to get up and leave, if you are not interested. And if people give you their time, then make sure to offer them something substantial. (Ali Mahlodji, Martina Kapral, Jeannine Mik)
- Don’t fight against the bad things in life – you will lose! If you are afraid, accept it and ask yourself: “Why am I scared?” Only then you can overcome whatever is holding you back. (Ali Mahlodji)
- Every person has lived through hard and harder times that have shaped them. So have I..What makes me sad, is that one needs to hit rock bottom to finally listen to one’s inner voice and find out what is important in life and what you want to do. So for everyone who is reading this: take a few minutes, close your eyes and listen to that voice – are you where you want to be? If not, don’t be afraid to change something.
- „The greatness of others should not stop you from starting yourself“ (Rafaela Cramen Scharf) – How much time have I spend doubting myself: Are you good enough? Is this decision a responsible one? What will the others think?
So even if some days I need more encouragement than others, I believe:
- Yes! I am good enough! And wherever I am not, I will be soon..its up to me!
- Yes! It is the right decision, because it is right for me!
- And although I still care what people think, I am getting better at hearing my own voice and my own thoughts the loudest 🙂
Thats why, today more than ever, I am convinced of the following: I will not work my a*** off for someone else’s dream. I will believe in myself and work for what makes my heart beat and my soul vibrate.
What if it doesn’t work? Well I will get up, and start again with everything I have learned in the process. It has already been worth the while for me, as all the people that I have met at the ABCstar blogger conference have been extraordinary! I especially enjoyed to see that an “offline” event such as this one, where people come together and exchange their views is still one of the most magic ways to connect, no matter what background you come from.
So thank you ABC! Thank you for the push that I needed to decide what to do and the wonderful job you did. I am very much looking forward to next year.
