There’s this misconception about Wanderlust. As the manager of communications, I’d like to clear it up. If you’ve ever attended a festival, you’ve probably thought about how cool it would be to work for Wanderlust. In your mind, you see a bunch of free-spirited hippies who put together a bunch of festivals and soak up all the love and feel super fulfilled every day.
While those days certainly exist, there are really hard, frustrating days, too. Days where we feel like we’re never going to complete our to-do lists. Days where we feel like no one sees the good work we’re doing. Days where we want to strangle our co-workers and flee the country.
Most of us took this job because we believe in the power of yoga, music and adventure and we wanted to make a difference in people’s lives on some level. Sometimes, from behind our computer screens, buried deep in our inboxes, we forget that we’re doing that.
But then, one day, you get a tweet from a man who has a wife, two daughters and stage four melanoma and he tells you that the work you’re doing is giving him strength and making him feel blessed.
When I saw that this weekend at Wanderlust Tremblant, I immediately shared it with WLHQ. Everyone felt extremely touched. We’re doing something right. We’re helping people. But that powerful moment would have never occurred had Mark Newman not sent that tweet. Our days would have gone on and we would have kept working and we would have missed a great opportunity to stop and say, “Wow. I make an impact.”
We’re told we shouldn’t be doing things because we want rewards or high fives or verbal gratification. We’re supposed to act selflessly and do good things because the world needs good things. We’re supposed to create a foundation of self-love and adoration so we aren’t constantly looking for external validation.
That’s all fine, but it’s important to remember that we’re in this together and, biologically and psychologically speaking, we need each other. When’s the last time you called a family member or best friend, out of the blue, just to say, “Hi. Thank you for letting me lean on you. I love you.” Do you wait for Thanksgiving or birthdays or anniversaries? What would happen if every time you thought of someone highly, you let him or her know that you had that thought?
That kind of thing is infectious. The ripple effects of your words and kindness can be felt all over the globe. Every time you say thank you and tell someone what they mean to you, you start a chain reaction of joy and warmth that cannot be replicated.
The truth is, we need each other. Humans desire connection and love. I’ve heard people say that it doesn’t matter what you say, it matters what you do. I disagree. All of it matters. What you say, how you say it, what you do and how you do it.
As for Ten Percent, if you’d like to learn more about Mark’s journey and the business his wife, Lynne, has started, visit their website and sign up for their newsletter.
Start spreading that joy, you guys. The world needs you.
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Tatum Fjerstad is the editor of the Wanderlust Journal and our Content Manager. Born and raised in Minneapolis, this writer/yoga teacher/cat lady is here to make you laugh, feel feelings and be okay with where you’re at.