Unleash the Power Within virtual with Tony Robbins
Last week I went on a journey of discovery with Tony Robbins and was truly blown away. We made history together, 23,000 of us from 138 countries connected virtually from our homes. We dug deep and learned, we laughed and cried, we danced, meditated, and did a crazy amount of cheering and celebrating.
Why were we celebrating, especially during these trying times? For a lot of reasons, but first of all because we showed up. We made the choice to not be defined by what has happened, and instead be defined by what we are doing in this moment. We cheered because we had made the decision to STEP UP!
In a recent facebook post I mentioned that I had signed up for this seminar, and promised to share some gems. Everything in italics are Tony’s words, not mine. He’s the first to say that nothing he teaches is rocket science, and nothing he tells us is something we don’t already know. What he’s doing is reminding us of what we were born knowing, before the outside world (our parents, teachers, society) told us otherwise.
Now, I have to tell you, storytelling is his superpower. He is a master at it, and the insight he shares is more deeply instilled when accompanied by a true story. To see what I mean, check out the documentary “I Am Not Your Guru” on Netflix.
Until then, I’ll tell you a quick story about me. Actually, you can read it here, in this facebook post.
The celebration I received in the group lifted me higher than I thought imaginable. Hundreds and hundreds of comments from people around the world, cheering me on, telling me their own stories, sharing so much love and support.
Here are some of my favorites:
59 and ready to SHINE!
Leap into your new life, we are right behind you!
You inspired me in a few sentences to get back in shape!
I love you for saying this, keep leaping!
I was crying and when I saw your pic it made me laugh…thank you
You’ve found your inner child again that sees us through so many of life’s ups and downs
Forever young!
You are amazing!
You are gorgeous!
59 never looked so good!
Inspiring! Brava! Way to go!
Amazing! Keep it going young lady!
I love this!!! You glow girl!
You have inspired me to be 55 years young again!
I want to be like you when I grow up, I’m right behind turning 58
No number is going to hold us back! Great post!
Age is no barrier for you – you look hot!
Fly like the wind!
Wow, now that’s a leap!
Mind over gravity!
Thank you for reminding me I can choose to be playful! Keep it up, you rock!
It’s so important to feel vibrant, alive, energetic and young from the inside out!
Right there with you girl. This will be our launching pad to be the difference makers we were born to be!
I am determined to be fit again. Really truly you are inspiring me.
Love it! It feels good to embrace those things that once brought us so much joy, we are still CAPABLE
One of Tony’s mantras is Divorce your old story and Marry your deeper truth. Surrounded by like-minded people ready to lift you up, our possibilities are limitless. Life is about WE not ME. It took me courage to post this photo into such a large facebook group, but the impact it had on those who became inspired to take control of their health is an example of with risks come rewards, and I’m ready to take more risks.
Which brings me to the next lesson. Courage is a muscle that needs to be exercised.
In one of our breakout group activities we were randomly put into groups of six. Although we were coming from all different time zones and parts of the world (South Africa, Australia, Ireland, Canada, LA and NJ) we discovered that our stressful thoughts were hardly original, and more universal than we realized.
We spoke of our fear of being vulnerable and I mentioned my own dread of doing a facebook live, which I know is important for small business owners. I expressed a desire for a peer group to hold me accountable, (love your family but choose your peers to help raise your standards and challenge you) and Ty, a hip-hop reggae musician from LA suggested that I make a public declaration and be held accountable that way. So, here it is, I’m asking you to check in on me to see if I’ve gone live on social media, and if I haven’t yet, give me a nudge!
Okay, that’s out of the way. I’m a little sweaty now, but pushing yourself when you’re uncomfortable is when you build muscle.
Right now we are living a historic moment of time with a pandemic and deep soul searching with regards to the issues surrounding race, so it’s not surprising we live in a stressed state. For many of us stress is a habit, it’s how we’ve been wired (our 2 million year old reptilian brain searches for what’s wrong in order to protect us). The ability to find joy and happiness in the middle of crap will make you feel powerful.
So we need to train ourselves to build new habits. There’s no certainty in life, just choices, so I choose to train myself to replace fear with joy, playfulness, connection, and gratitude.
In the moments of our decisions is where our destiny is shaped.
Update to this blogpost 2/16/26. I've edited this post and decided to delete the rest of it, since I've learned so much more since I originally wrote it in 2020. I'll tell you what I've learned, very soon! xo Maryanne