Over the weekend, I attended a fully funded professional conference in Montréal and I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity.
If you know a little about me, you know I love a good conference and I try to attend at least one every year. Last year I attended another professional conference, and in past, I’ve attended writer’s conferences. You can read about them here.
Conferences have actually been part of my life for as long as I can remember.
My parents are professors, and growing up, they attended conferences every year and they sometimes took me along. I remember sitting in the audience, watching them present their research papers, not realizing that something in me was being shaped.
By the time I got into university, I had stepped into that world myself and started attending conferences independently, presenting papers, while learning how to build my network and make strategic connections.
Some conferences cost me money I didn’t have at the time and I remember almost talking myself out of attending. There were months of depriving myself of things so I could save up to afford them. I am glad I made those decisions, because some of the most important opportunities I have gained in my life, or relationships I have built, have come from spaces like this. I met my literary agent at a writers’ conference and that one moment alone changed the trajectory of my writing journey.
Investing in yourself sometimes, can feel uncomfortable. It often requires spending money before you see a return, stepping into unfamiliar rooms, having to do small talks when you don’t feel like it, making out time that you don’t necessarily have, but some of the best investments I have made were the ones that stretched me.
The return will not always come immediately, but it will come in the form of a new mindset, a fresh perspective, new opportunities, greater confidence, expanded knowledge, meaningful relationships, and perspectives you could not have gained any other way.
Growth rarely happens by accident; it happens when we intentionally place ourselves in environments that challenge us, teach us, and expose us to what is possible. And sometimes, the very thing standing between where you are and where you want to be is a decision to invest in yourself.
Also, if you are also an explorer like me, you also get to explore a new city when you attend a conference. I’m an explorer at heart, and if I’m in a new place, I will find my way around it. After the sessions in Montréal wrapped up, I spent time walking through the city, taking photos, and just being present.
I had been here about five years ago, but coming back brought with it a new perspective, and I saw new things, noticed details I missed the first time, and found areas I didn’t get a chance to explore before.
So if there’s a conference you’ve been eyeing, a coach you need to work with, a course you need to take, or a book you need to purchase, or an investment you need to make in yourself, consider this a SIGN!
You are your greatest investment, and you must invest in your growth, even when it is inconvenient and you must invest in your future, even when the return is not yet visible. The opportunities, relationships, and perspectives that will shape your life almost always begin with the decision to invest in yourself.
With love,
Mo
❤️