I’ve been a big fan of Tony Robbins for the past two years. I had been listening to his audio CDs, watching clips of his on YouTube, and of course reading his books. Earlier this year, I decided to take the plunge and purchase tickets to his UPW Event. (I had originally planned on going to his Los Angeles event but ended up falling and breaking and cutting open my nose and missing my flight out. Tony’s team was great about letting me use my ticket to attend a future event after I was back on my feet.) Finally, one within driving distance came along in November.
I ended up missing Day 1 of UPW (and the firewalk that goes along with it) because of a gig I had with L’Occitane. For this reason, I’m don’t consider this a full review of the UPW Event and instead am focusing on what I did get to experience and take away from Days 2-4 that I was present for. While I learned so much from the event, here are a few things that stood out to me.
1. YOU CAN DECIDE TO BE HAPPY/EXCITED/SAD/DEPRESSED
Going into a Tony Robbins event, be prepared to be active. It’s not a sit down and take notes seminar. There’s a LOT of emphasis on physical activity and group/partnered exercises (more on that later). And it’s going to feel ridiculous at first. It’s going to feel almost cult-like. Tony and his guest speaker, Joseph McClendon III, take you on an emotional rollercoaster. In what I can best describe as guided meditations, they will bring you up to tear you down and bring you back up again. My advice is, just go with it. There’s a method to the madness. Through the ups and downs, you start to notice the “buttons” more clearly to tap yourself into happiness, certainty and confidence, and also sad and depressed. When you become more aware of these buttons and how to press them, you realize how much more in control of your feelings and emotional states you are experiencing. Through what you focus on, the questions you ask yourself, the meaning you give to the outside experiences, how you hold your body, the way you breathe, how you use your face. It’s as simple as making the decision to behave your way to the feeling you want to have.
