#data16 Day 3

Admittedly I’m jumping from day 1 to day 3.  I hit a micro wall on Tuesday.  But now that I’ve pushed through to Wednesday – it is time to focus on the amazing.

First up – paradigm shift.  I had a very novel vision of expectations and how to “get the most” out of the conference.  This involved the idea of attending several hands-on sessions and maximizing my time soaking in how others solve data problems.  The ‘why’ behind the initial decision: I have a particular love for seeing how other people pull apart problems.  I was once asked what my passion was by a colleague – I said that I loved understanding the universe.  Pulling apart anything and everything, understanding it, cataloging it, figuring out how it fits into existence.  So faced with the opportunity to see how others tackle things was something I had to do.

So what was the paradigm shift?  The conference isn’t just for seeing people solve problems.  It’s about seeing people communicate their passion.  And this happens in a million different ways.  This morning it happened with Star Trek and making data fun and serious.  Later it was 300+ slides of humor secretly injected with sage wisdom.  The word that comes to my mind is intensity.  I think really what I started seeking out was intensity.  And there’s no shortage.

My takeaway: Focus more on the passion and intensity from others.  Soaking this in becomes fuel.  Fuel for improvement, potential, and endless possibilities.  I can always go back and learn the intricate, well documented solutions.  I can’t recreate magic.

Second item – commitment.  Commitment is accountability, following through, sticking it out, dedication.  Commitment is daunting.  Commitment is a conscious choice.  I made a commitment to myself to be present, to engage with others.  Following through has been difficult (and very imperfect), but it has been unbelievably rewarding.  Thinking back to my day 1 thoughts – I fall back to community.  Committing to this community has been one of the best decisions I’ve made.

My takeaway: Human connections matter and are second to none.  Human connections make all the gravy of data visualization, playing with data, and problem solving possible.  (Also when you commit to dancing unafraid at a silent disco, you end up having an amazing day.)

Final item – Try everything that piques interest.  (This one I will keep short because it’s late.)  If you sense something is special, RUN TOWARD IT.  Special is just that: special.  Unique, one-of-a-kind, infrequent.  I think the moments I’ve had while here will turn into what shapes the next year of my life adventures.

My love note for Wednesday – in the books.

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