wow fest logo
5–6 December 2015, I hosted Bangalore’s first-ever wellness festival — WOW Fest, in the lush green and serene venue of The Green Pocket.
Hosting it has been quite an experience, with its share of highs and lows.
Here are some of them that I’d like to share:
1. Wash off your pre-notions, judgments, and inhibitions.
Never ink people, situations, and experiences permanently with your notions, judgments, and inhibitions. The same person you hate or avoid might be your biggest strength and support.
2. Being vibrant in pain.
Most of the speakers and partners at the fest were people with very strong stories of pain and struggle. They’ve seen the worst side of their lives and are out there sharing their journey to help people face the sophisticated things life throws. The positivity and vibrancy of these fantastic people radiate multifold every single time they empower someone else to embrace their downside with grace.
3. Just being.
The simplest, yet the toughest thing to do is just be. Find yourself from within — the unscathed, uncorrupted, innocent side of you. Just by being, you can find peace and contentment from within.
4. Inspiration everywhere.
A simple storytelling session inspired my musician friend to change his setlist (song list) and make it more rooted and organic — caring less about the templates and more about what he liked when he was growing up. Inspiration can strike you anywhere and from anyone. Be open and ready to adopt and adapt.
5. Numbers don’t mean anything.
Being the first, there was a risk of not having an ample number of people attending the fest. And yes, it was a very minuscule audience — but those who came stayed and stuck through the fest right from 6 am to 6 pm. The quality of participation was something that kept my team and me charged up all through the fest. Numbers are a mere hype!