A few weeks ago I attended the World Domination Summit, sounds ominous I know, but it’s really one of the most amazing conference experiences! For those of you who are craving intimate interactions with people who are changing the world, this conference was created for you…. and me too. It’s similar to a TEDx style format with keynote speakers, combined with breakout sessions and attendee stories. From local art projects, to a global fundraiser to find clean water and world record breaking, it was so uplifting to know there really are good people in the world and we are on our way to making the world a better place.
It was my first time attending and to say I was overwhelmed is an understatement. With so much still packed inside my head I’m just slowly now getting to decompress and wanted to share my favorite quotes from #WDS2013. Chris Guillebeau, I hope this isn’t the last I see from you!
31 Motivational, Inspirational, Go Live Your Dreams Quotes from WDS 2013
Bob Moore @bobs_red_mill
The oldest WDS speaker and 65+ year owner of Bob’s Red Mill in Portland, OR.
bobsredmill.com
1. “Progress, sometimes, is just being there.” 
Nancy Duarte @nancyduarte
Communication scientist and writer.
duarte.com
2. “Know what MOVES people.”
3. “Too many great ideas stay hidden inside someones heart.”
Darren Rowse @problogger
Blogging superman.
problogger.net
4. “Don’t lead an ordinary life.”
5. “Our future is the result of what we are creating.”
6. “Your next big thing might be the small thing in front of you.”
7. “inspiration without implementation is empty.”
8. “Look back and know you chased your dreams.”
9. “Don’t let you own perfectionism keep you from trying.”
10. “When things don’t go your way, just hang on.”
Clare Bowditch
Amazing singer and songwriter with a powerful message.
11. “You don’t just have to be ONE thing.”
Chris Guillebeau @chrisguillebeau
Conference planner, best-selling author, traveled every country in the world.
chrisguillebeau.com & 100startup.com
12.”What are you really happiest doing?”
13. “What impact have you made on the world?”
14. “How we interpret ourselves and the world around us is different then what other people see.”
Attendee Speakers
15. “Break out of familiar patterns.”
16. “Find a special way to love your world.”
17. “You should be more scared about NOT trying, than trying.”
Jia Jiang @jiajiang
The king of rejection therapy.
entre.sting.com
18. “Rejection, like chicken is either yummy or yucky, depending how you cook it.”
19. “Just ask.”
20. “We reject ourselves before other people can. Stop.”
Gretchen Rubin @gretchenrubin
Best selling author of the Happiness Project and working mother.
happiness-project.com
21. “Being who you really are means recognizing who you aren’t and who you’ll never be.”
22. “The key to happiness is self-knowledge. We become too focused on how we should be that we forget who we are.”
23. “Do the work to know who you are, and set life up to play into what you know creates your happiness. Leading with intention can change everything.”
Andrew Warner @andrewwarner
Failed entrepreneur turned successful startup interviewer.
mixergy.com
24. “No one ever got great by not sucking.”
Tess Vigeland @tessvigeland
NPR’s Marketplace Money radio show host.
tessvigeland.com
25. “Everyone makes it looks amazing from the outside, but we all know what its like on the inside.”
26. “How do you know when its time to go? When you have too much self-respect to stay.”
27. “When you have your dream job, you stop dreaming.”
28. “Dream while you’re still in the dream.”
29. “I wouldn’t have had more fun swimming in a pool of kittens!”
Steve Schalchlin @steveschlchlin
AIDS survivor turned Broadway star.
bonusround.com
30. “We’re all creators, we all have imagination.”
31. “You will only make a difference when you care.”
Donald Miller @donaldmiller
Storyteller and writer.
storylineblog.com
32. “When bad things happen, find the good.”
33. “What if we are not the identities we project?”
34. “Impress less people and connect with more.”
35. “It’s not about getting people to like you, because that won’t heal you. Connectedness will.”
Afterthoughts On My First WDS
I’m on the fence about attending next year, only because I don’t ever feel like I’m doing anything amazing with my life and wouldn’t have anything to contribute to this amazing group of individuals. (But talk me out of that, will ya?!) These quotes are only a fraction of what I absorbed and it was a wonderful few days spent in Portland, OR.
At the end of the day, I feel grateful to Chris for having the courage to start this conference three years ago and even more grateful for my friends (mostly who I met though Twitter over the years) for reaching out to me, connecting and making my newly acquired shyness disappear.
We are all here to do something amazing with our lives no matter how big or small. It’s a constant struggle in my head as a mom, career women and entrepreneur how exactly I’ll do all that. Until then, these quotes will serve as my reminder, motivation and inspiration to keep pushing forward.
Onwards, tomorrow is a new day.
*Photo Credit: Armosa Studios
