TEDxMaui - To Go or Not Go?

This is not a post telling you to go to TEDxMaui. This is for you to decide. In fact, I’m probably the last person to tell anyone to go or not go, because I didn’t go last year. I spent the day (actually several days) diving into my mom’s boxes of paperwork, sorting out bills, receipts, and financial documents while she was in the hospital. But I listened to the TEDxMaui livestream because I still wanted to be part of the historic event, the first TEDx conference on the island.

Listening to a live stream is not the same as being there surrounded by all that energy. There’s something called morphic resonance, a concept coined by Rupert Sheldrake… and one of his ideas is that when there’s a large group of people, say at least 400, there’s a field of energy created by having all those people in the same space. If you’ve been to a live rock concert with hundreds of people, you may know what I’m talking about. It’s not the same as listening to a cd at home. Having a lot of people, 1200 or so, at a TEDxMaui event and being in this energy field of ideas to transform society, could be a way to transform society at a telepathic level. Aside from that, the speaker line up is very interesting.

But I won’t tell you to go. In fact, I will be missing it again this year because I have a schedule conflict on Sunday morning – would you believe, the community garden annual members meeting? And sure, I could skip it, but I think it’s important for me to go, because the garden is as much about building community as an event like TEDx.  So, I’ll miss out on whatever fascinating conversations or interactions there may be.  I’ll hopefully get a chance to watch the speakers on video later on and maybe listen to the live stream (if there is one) later that day. 

It’s about choices. We all have to make them, based on time, money and other values. If you have free time on Sunday and want to soak in the energy field of TEDxMaui, socialize, and get a brain work out, go for it. If you’re new to the island, this would be a great way to get to know some of the movers and shakers. In fact, I encouraged some newbies to Maui, who’ve only been here five months, to go. They are starting a new business and it could be a good networking opportunity. On the other hand, I cannot claim that going to TEDxMaui will change your life or make you a better person.  I think a lot depends on what you do with the information. I've gone to a lot of workshops  - and the trick is applying the knowledge in my daily life. 

If you think you might be overwhelmed by the possibility of 1200 other people in the same space, then it’s probably not for you. If you can’t spare time or money, because of whatever else is going on in your life, then it’s not for you.  January is a busy time for a lot of us here on Maui. It’s high tourist season which means a lot of us are working extra hours as well. But I also think that’s why the event organizers scheduled it at this time, because there's more people on island.  If you go, have fun!  If not, I would never give you a guilt trip. And I'll still try to go next year (knock on wood).