<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.everydaytreats.com/wp-content/uploads/6a00d8341db04e53ef013487dd819a970c-pi.jpg" style="display: inline;"><img alt="IMG_3944" class="asset  asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341db04e53ef013487dd819a970c" src="http://www.everydaytreats.com/wp-content/uploads/6a00d8341db04e53ef013487dd819a970c-500wi.jpg" title="IMG_3944" /></a><em> </em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>&#0160;</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><em>Photo by <a href="http://www.thatcupoftea.com/" target="_self">Zan</a></em></span></p>
<p>I like small words that pack a big punch. I also love words that are a little silly. Maybe that&#39;s why I like the word <em>mighty</em>.</p>
<p><em>Mighty</em> sounds weak and tiny but actually means big and strong. It&#39;s the opposite of onomatopeia.</p>
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<h2><span style="color: #8b8b8b;">mighty <em>adj</em> \ˈmī-tē\<strong>&#0160;</strong></span></h2>
<h2><span style="font-size: small; color: #8b8b8b;"><strong>might·i·er</strong><strong> | might·i·est</strong></span></h2>
<div><span style="color: #8b8b8b;">1<strong> :</strong> possessing might <strong>:</strong> <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powerful">powerful</a></span></div>
<div><span style="color: #8b8b8b;">2<strong> :</strong> accomplished or characterized by might &lt;a <em>mighty</em> thrust&gt;</span></div>
<div><span style="color: #8b8b8b;">3<strong> :</strong> great or imposing in size or extent <strong>:</strong> <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extraordinary">extraordinary</a></span></div>
<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small; color: #8b8b8b;"><em>From <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mighty" target="_self">MerriamWebster.com</a></em></span></p>
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<p>As you all know, I attended this year&#39;s<a href="http://www.mightysummit.com/" target="_self"> Mighty Summit</a>. I think you already know that <a href="http://www.everydaytreats.com/2010/09/what-i-got-at-the-mighty-summit.html" target="_self">I enjoyed myself</a>. But I promised to tell you all about it. And here I am, a couple of weeks later and I have yet to make good on my word.</p>
<p>Part of the problem is that <a href="http://www.mightysummit.com/attendees/" target="_self">everyone who was there has a website</a>, and they&#39;ve all done a fantastic job of telling you about the weekend. (Maggie has a <a href="http://mightygirl.com/2010/09/27/mighty-summit-post-roundup/" target="_self">roundup of all the posts here</a>, by the way.) I was going to tell you about how I ended up going in the first place (simple -- I applied) but so many of my fellow <a href="http://www.knottyyarn.com/blog/need-work-for-longer-lifebigger-displays.html" target="_self">applicants</a> did a much<a href="http://teaandcookies.blogspot.com/2010/09/throwing-your-hat-into-ring.html" target="_self"> better job</a> than I would have done <a href="http://apracticalwedding.com/2010/09/mighty-summit-in-gratitude-for-the-blog-o-sphere/" target="_self">explaining</a> why.</p>
<p>And yet, I keep thinking about that weekend. How did it manage to leave me feeling so, well ... <em>mighty</em>, even after getting home and dealing headfirst with the suddenly messy and frankly, painful, reality of my life right now?</p>
<p>All I can come up with is that it was a retreat. A chance for me to get away and really listen. Just listen. And not <em>just</em> listen.</p>
<p>I listened, of course, to friends who I&#39;d just met. They taught me many things -- about creativity, and assertiveness, and working hard, and the humble beginnings of their many succesful ventures, and how the secret to getting things done is to just do them.</p>
<p>Despite all the things we did and crammed into the weekend, I mostly enjoyed sitting there and soaking up the conversations going on around me. That alone made the trip worthwile.</p>
<p>But I was surprised at how great it was to have a chance to to listen to someone else: Myself.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.everydaytreats.com/wp-content/uploads/6a00d8341db04e53ef0133f4ee5665970b-pi.jpg" style="display: inline;"><img alt="5018210530_bc25e38ec1" class="asset  asset-image at-xid-6a00d8341db04e53ef0133f4ee5665970b" src="http://www.everydaytreats.com/wp-content/uploads/6a00d8341db04e53ef0133f4ee5665970b-500wi.jpg" title="5018210530_bc25e38ec1" /></a> <br /><em>Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/maggiemason/" target="_self">MaggieMason</a></em></p>
<p>I hardly ever stop and listen to myself. It&#39;s not like I mean to ignore myself, but it just ends up happening.</p>
<p>(It&#39;s so easy to get caught up in everyday noise, isn&#39;t it? To ignore what you want and need to do with your life when so many things need to get done <em>rightthisveryminute</em>. I spend my life putting out little fires. I&#39;m sure I&#39;m not the only one. At least, I hope not.)</p>
<p>I realized that I haven&#39;t done enought celebrating of what I&#39;ve accomplished so far. I realized that in certain instances I haven&#39;t been stretching myself as far I could. Instead, I set tiny little goals that I know I can achieve. We all know why this is. (Fear!) And now that I see it in writing I see how silly that is. I also realized that it&#39;s OK to want to do little things (I <em>really</em> want to learn how to sew!) I realized that sometimes I was reaching for things that aren&#39;t actually leading me to where I want to go.</p>
<p>That&#39;s a lot of realizing.</p>
<p>In any case, I just wanted to let you all know about this not to talk once again about my great weekend -- as great as it was, it can never be replicated. The organizers are working on what comes next for the Mighty Summit -- and I&#39;m sure the next one (ones?) will be amazing as well.</p>
<p>But...the thing is that you don&#39;t have to go to Sonoma, or meet rockstar people to start listening to yourself.</p>
<p>You know this. I know this. But sometimes the obvious needs to be said.</p>
<p>Make time for yourself, and instead of filling up with things you&#39;ve read or watched take the time to let things out. Write them down. Don&#39;t censor yourself. Revisit them a few days later.</p>
<p>Lather. Rinse. Repeat.</p>
<p>We spend the bulk of our time consuming ideas and wants and shoulds. <a href="http://www.everydaytreats.com/my-life-list.html" target="_self">We spend less time letting our own ideas and wants and shoulds out into the world</a>. It&#39;s relatively easy to do once you carve time out for it. It&#39;s so worth it.</p>
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<div><em>&#0160;</em><em>Go  confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you&#39;ve   imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be   simpler.</em>&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;&#0160;
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<p style="text-align: right;">Henry David Thoureau</p>
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<p style="text-align: left;">What do you want?</p>
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