It’s been over a week now since we drove away from Black Rock City.  It’s hard to believe actually.  It’s been challenging even to find what I want to write because I could go so many directions.  Burning Man was magical… I can’t imagine it not being so.  Since my last post spoke to why Burning Man is so amazing,  I thought I’d share the challenging side to be real.

It’s much easier to do now while it’s fresh, than in a year from now when everything has turned in to blissful playa moments.  Just as I wrote in my last post; having so much fear previous to going and not remembering having a moment of it the whole time I was there.  It was true I didn’t remember it… now I do!  Can we live in a magical place and have nothing arise?  The reality is that it is a perfect place for it all to arise, be present with and move through.

The conditions of Burning Man are perfectly intense to poke and provoke.  Starting from the pre-playa planning and all that it takes to prepare and get there in the first place.  Then setting up camp.  Living in the dust, heat, wind, cold, and storms (although this year was particularly pleasant – all of these conditions are still present).  Packing up and leaving then getting home and cleaning EVERYTHING is all a major ordeal as well.  It really is quite a pilgrimage.

And yes there are different ways to do it, from flying straight into Black Rock City where some one is waiting with your fully equipped RV and a meal plan to hitching in with only a back pack.  Yet, there is a bond of living in this city that we all are a part of no matter how we got there, live there, and leave.

Matt and I camp in a large tent, have two coolers and bring a tent for costumes to share with our camp.  I am a creature of comfort being a Leo, so I’m always inventing systems to support my need for some basic comforts.  I can feel my standards rising all the time… small camper for next year, sounds good to me!  I have roughed it around the world and have declared the stamp of “I can do this”.  Not looking to prove anything any more.  I recognize that I can tolerate most anything and I don’t really want to choose tolerating anymore… how about creating the comfort I crave!

Besides being challenged by comfort this year, my next hurdle was the afterburn… integration of the playa into my life at home and business.  I have stepped up into a new level of responsibility this year starting a new business (or two), and I could feel my “I work when I want to” free spirit throw a tantrum.  Really?  Do you want all this responsibility?  I felt myself internally retreating.

I watched as Alexis Martin Neely and Russell Feingold got married this year at Burning Man and the day she got back, Alexis was on coaching calls!  Instead of judging and comparing myself, I view it as an inspiration – to be that comfortable in your business and in your play that there is no separation or transition time required.  Alexis, Russell, Matt and I talked about wearing different hats vs being fully who you are and want to be in life and in business, which also helps to be seamless from play to business.  If you embody who you truly are and show up 100% as that, you serve your clients and yourself so much more.

I realized that yes, there is more responsibility in my life and with that comes purpose, service, and connection… how can I resist that?

P.S. The picture really is of the explosion of the Burning Man… Matt got a great shot didn’t he?

I know Burning Man has quite a reputation… People I encounter have various reactions to Burning Man and the fact that I go.  I get “oh, I didn’t know you were ‘that’ type”.  I smile.  I didn’t know once either.

I’ll be honest.  Before I went to Burning Man, my reaction to it was fear.  Fear of feeling uncomfortable.  Fear that my boundaries were going to be pushed in every way possible.  Fear of isolation, like I wouldn’t belong.  Fear I wouldn’t be weird enough to have fun.  Fear I was going to be the only one who felt that way.  Whole lotta fear.  When we got there, the greeters rolled me in the dirt at the gate and I can’t remember having a moment of fear the whole time I was there.

Here’s what I found the experience to REALLY be about.

• Living in the Present Moment -Leaving the structure of your life behind opens the space for all that is… right in front of you.  That really is all that really exists anyway, but Burning Man has a way of really making it impossible to be anywhere but in the moment.
• Connection – There is a space that is created when masses of people are truly present that leaves the door wide open to real connection.
• Community – Being a part of such a huge event that has so many subcultures within, there are so many ways to engage in a community that really resonates with you.
• Creativity – What I am sooooo impressed with is how important creativity is in some peoples’ lives that they invest their time, energy, money, heart and soul in creating unbelievable structures and experiences all for us to enjoy, partake in and discover our own deeper creativity.
• Expression – Wear the wackiest things you can think of just because it’s fun.
• Play!
• Exploring Beyond Social Norms – you can always experience something you wouldn’t normally, if you want to.
• Leaving Connecting Through Technology Behind - as much as I love social media and my online world – only connecting in person for a whole week is amazing.
• Awakening New Possibilities for Yourself
• No Money – no selling, no buying, no advertising.
• Self Sufficiency - pack-in, pack-out everything you could possibly need or want for the week.

I believe Burning Man can be anything you want it to be.  So I’m off!  I’ll come back and share the juice from this year’s magic place… did I mention I was camping with clowns this year?