Words Cannot Describe but “Transformational Energy” Comes Close

There is a commonly used cliché that most of us have used at one time or another: “Words cannot describe.”  In attempting to describe the unbelievable exchange of energy that occurred at the inaugural Winter Wellness Forum, all I can say is that even this well-worn cliché feels inadequate.  And yet, I shall fumble around for words that seem appropriately descriptive.  Words like Awesome, Amazing, Powerful, Incredible, Wonderful and Fantastic are nice but none of them are adequately precise. The only word that really fits is Transformational. Let me explain.

What is the Winter Wellness Forum?

For years I have been attending the National Wellness Conference which is held annually in July at Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  I consistently return feeling completely filled with “wellness energy” which typically buoys me up until sometime between February and April when I energetically crash and burn.  Several of my friends have felt the same way and it was collectively suggested that we do something mid-year.  I will spare you the minutia but my friend Michael and I hammered out the rough idea in a car ride from South Bend Indiana to Chicago.  Yada yada yada and the Winter Wellness Forum in Sedona, Arizona was officially born.  The mission was simple: to provide an energetic boost for wellness junkies between National Wellness Conferences.

Why was the Winter Wellness Forum Transformational?

The word “Transformational” basically means “Something that produces a marked change, as in appearance or character, usually for the better.”  This is why, for me, the word “Transformational” fits. It was deeply gratifying for me to witness transformational energy working in the lives of the wonderful human beings who came to Sedona.  But to participate in the workshops was personally transformational.  In particular, one of the forum attendees suggested that dedication to any cause in life is meaningless if you forget how important “the important” things are.  It is my experience that the important things are NOT things, but people. 

To illustrate her point, she referred to a song that has been nicely rendered by the Counting Crows, Amy Grant, and others. The song is called Big Yellow Taxi.  Listening to the song, you get the idea that it is about someone who cares deeply for the environment. For example,

“They took all the trees, and put ‘em in a tree museum

And they charged the people a dollar and a half to see them

No, no, no, don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you've got till it's gone

They paved paradise, and put up a parkin' lot” 

But toward the end of the song, this attendee pointed out, that the real lesson of the song is not saving the environment or any other worthy cause. It is about saving or preserving that which should be most important to us all; our relationships.  Here is how the song ends.

“Listen, late last night, I heard the screen door swing,

And a big yellow taxi took my girl (boy, children etc) away

Now don't it always seem to go

That you don't know what you got till it's gone

They paved paradise and put up a parking lot”

I was powerfully reminded how fleeting our relationships are and how important they should be and in that moment, I became, like every other Winter Wellness Forum attendee, a transformed being on a human path.