What an incredible ISPA Conference & Expo it was at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center! There were so many memorable moments, but it was the inspiring takeaways from the three impactful General Sessions that made this year’s Conference live up to its "Inspire" theme.
Monday General Session’s keynote speaker, Jim Collins, author of Great by Choice, offered some sage advice for coping and surviving in the midst of chaos and uncertainty, basing his concepts on a large body of systematic research. According to him, what makes a leader/company great are: 1) fanatic discipline 2) empirical creativity, and 3) productive paranoia combined with driving ambition and tempered with humility.
Tuesday’s Mind, Body & Spirit session highlighted:
· Rancho La Puerta's iconic Deborah Szekely, youthful at 90, who encouraged us to nurture our minds through: breathing, intentional silence, and regular "meetings" with our mind. Her passionate call to action to join her Wellness Warriors initiative to unite and stand up for wellness inspired all of us.
· Dr. Jordan Metzl, author of The Athlete's Book of Home Remedies, who stated that 95 percent of injury and trauma is due to overuse. He stressed the importance of setting compelling fitness goals for ourselves that strengthen the muscles to prevent injury and shared ways to strengthen our “kinetic chains.”
· Film director and producer Louie Schwartzberg gave a short introduction to some of his exceptionally moving and beautiful visual commentaries on gratitude and pollination by bees, bats and hummingbirds.
Wednesday’s General Session featured the dynamic Australian speaker, Peter Sheahan, author of Fl!p and Generation Y, who encouraged us to not fall prey to the “gravity of success,” to step back and examine where we could be headed in the future. He also discussed the pros and cons of discounting in a rapid-fire and compelling presentation.
All in all, this year’s ISPA Conference had wonderful substance and was truly inspirational!
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