This quote came to mind travelling home a couple nights ago. I was so grateful that when given the opportunity, I showed up! If you follow me on Twitter and/or Facebook, you would have seen that on Sunday, I attended a special event with Chris Guillebeau at Chapters Robson in Vancouver.

Chris was there to promote his new book, The Happiness of Pursuit. The event involved him giving a 20-30 minute talk, then answering (or attempting to answer as he put it) audience members’ questions, followed by a book signing.  I totally recommend this book - click here to order one through Chapters/Indigo.

Seeing the crowded space of people who had travelled from as far away as Belgium to be in attendance was so motivating! Books start conversations and bring people together. Through his quest and sharing his experiences, Chris is building a global community and making us all feel not alone in our life journeys. Chris encouraged us all to interact with each other. We were all grateful for this gathering.

I discovered Chris’s blog, The Art of Non-Conformity, in 2010 when I had just begun Arianna’s Random Thoughts. What initially drew me to Chris’s writing were his stories of his unconventional way of living. No one else in my community was a blogger so I searched out other like-minded individuals to connect with. The act of writing blog posts is solitary, so it is nice to build connections to keep the momentum going. Earlier this year, I reached out to Chris about being interviewed on my blog – he generously accepted. You can read his interview here. So when I found out he was coming to Vancouver, I had to go meet him in person.

It can be nerve-wracking to try something new, such as attending an event or even reaching out to best-selling authors. I admit I initially had hesitation - what if I say something silly? - but I showed up and look at the result! There wouldn’t have been this gathering if all of us hadn’t shown up in our lives in one way or another and pursued our goals.

I realized on the way home too that even though I wasn’t aware of it, I was pursuing my personal and professional quest. I love empowering people to stand tall & speak from the heart. As I used to be shy and struggle with insecurities, I would avoid these situations because I didn’t think I belonged there. Now, I go to these events naturally and coach others to do the same.

Therefore, today I encourage you to put one foot in front of the other, believe in yourself, and go be seen! If you need support to keep the momentum going, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask; you never know what will happen! Thanks again, Chris, for showing up in Vancouver! You Rock!

Thank you for reading and your presence at this beach retreat. You Rock! I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts in the Comments section below.

See you at the beach!