Nikki Ward and I recently hosted the Mid-Atlantic Reiki Conferences in Toronto, Canada and Columbia, Maryland. By all accounts both conferences were very successful based on the feedback we received from attendees. It has now been five conferences in total that we have hosted since 2013. It is my husband’s opinion that they are no accident.
In September just before the Toronto conference I started golf lessons and I know this may seem unrelated but give me a moment. The week before the Toronto conference I played my first round of golf – all 18 holes! I was quite pleased with myself. I discovered two things very quickly about golf that day. The first discovery is that golf will be like Reiki - it will be a lifelong practice. The second thing that I learned is that I cannot get attached to any part of the game. That lesson came very quickly. Paul found a beautiful blue golf ball on the third hole and gave it to me. It was my intention to play with that ball for the rest of game. However, on the next hole I teed it up and promptly hit it into the woods never to be seen again. But I digress.
It was on the way to golf that morning I saw a billboard that read, “If you want to go fast go alone. If you want to go far go with the team.” I don’t know whom to attribute this quote to but I found it so relevant for our conferences. Nikki and I have come a long way with these conferences. When we met we each had the idea that we would like to do this and decided that day to move forward together. But we have not done it on our own. My husband Paul has been on our cheering team since the start. My friend Allison in Toronto has helped in some way every year from graphic design to flower arranging.
Nikki’s sister, Lori, has also helped us every year in Maryland. In between we have had a number of other volunteers assist us.
Our presenters through the years have given of their time and talents and we appreciate that they bring new perspectives helping us broaden our thinking and knowledge of Reiki. And of course none of this could have happened without our audience members who support us every year and then take their new knowledge out into the world to continue spreading the light and love of Reiki. It is with this team that Nikki and I have come this far and met so many wonderful people with the conferences.
Who in your day-to-day life is a part of your team? Do you remember to thank those members of your team every so often? And if you feel alone is there someone you could invite to be a part of your team?
Apart from anything else being a part of a team is fun. It gives you the opportunity to share, to plan, to dream, and to celebrate when things go well, or commiserate with someone when they don’t. In the process you make friends who enrich your lives. And that’s the best part of all!