So, if BlissDom is on your agenda this week, chances are you are here at Opryland already or you are on your way here…. so this isn’t a post that will make you feel bad about the things you should have PACKED. There are plenty of brilliants posts dedicated to tips that will guide you through the magnificence of this conference – what to wear (comfortable shoes and anything that makes you feel like ‘you’), what to carry with you (anything you’ll need for the day – your room won’t be close) etc….
But consider this post the ‘Everything I need to Know, I Learned in Kindergarten’ version of what I hope you brought with you…. as these are simple and necessary items to a meaningful BlissDom experience
Your Smile.
I said ‘simple’, right? I wasn’t kidding. Smile at as many people as you can, as often as you can. Smile until your face hurts. When you smile, it opens the door for people to approach you, to say hello, to start a conversation, to learn more about you. This is why you are here. To connect, to learn, to see people you care about and to create new relationships. And every time you smile, you might be welcoming someone new – and THAT? Is amazing.
Open Arms.
Hug the people you know. Hug the people you might know. Be willing to hug the people you want to know. Nothing can make a newcomer feel more welcome than a hug that says, ‘I’m glad you are here’.
BlissDom 2009 My First Friends
A willingness to approach
Don’t wait for people to come to you. If you see someone you want to talk to, walk over and say hello. If you see a blogger, a writer, a speaker you have always wanted to meet – walk up to them. They don’t bite…usually. 
And if everyone waits for someone to approach, we will have a heck of a lot of people standing around alone. Walk up and say, ‘hi’. Just do it.
Patience
You might have to wait in a line or two… to get into a session, to get food, to get into the party to see RASCAL FLATTS!! You might have to wait for an elevator. You might have to wait for your blog idol to finish talking to someone else. You will have to take your time to learn new and valuable tools to improve your blog and your business. Use the time to talk to the people around you. No need to worry, to stress or to be in a hurry.
Faith in the Good Side of People
Assume the best about the people around you. If someone isn’t smiling, they might be tired or shy. Don’t assume they are rude. If you say hello and they aren’t chatty back, figure they are tired, timid or overwhelmed by the volume of new friends – not that they don’t have good manners. Give people the benefit of the doubt. And a second chance. They people here are worth it.
BlissDom is as beautiful as you make it. When I first attended in 2009, the conference was held at the Hotel Preston. I walked in without knowing a soul. I was petrified. Some of the women I met that weekend are among the people I love most in the world today. They are friends, confidants, motivators, and sound-boardings. They are the people who keep me in line, tell me if I’m about to make a wrong decision, remind me what is important in life and keep the beauty of friendship forefront in my mind.
If I hadn’t smiled when I walked in…. if I hadn’t opened my arms…if I hadn’t approached perfect strangers… if I hadn’t had patience and if I didn’t ALWAYS have faith in the good side of people… I wouldn’t be able to tell you with all my heart that BlissDom is extraordinary.
And it is the experience you create. If you are here… I hope to see you.
