It can be frightening to stand up for what we believe in…. and frightening to do something that might not work.  All too often we settle for what’s reasonable, predictable, and ordinary. When it becomes personal and fraught with the possibility of failure, it becomes scarce and valuable, and it matters.

Saying “Here, I made this,” and “Here’s why it matters to me” is something we rarely get to hear.

Seth Godin created Icarus Sessions for people to share just that. For the first time ever, people all over the world in 1,300 communites did that on Jan. 2, 2013.

We had 25 people at the Kansas City session at Californos (organized on Meetup.com).

People volunteered to give 140 second talks about what they were creating or building, and shared it with vulnerability, passion and generosity. And then sat down and listened to the next person. It was a chance to find fellow travelers, artists and those making a ruckus and hear what they’re passionate about.  Generally, everyone followed the  “No pitching or selling” rule.

Although these are not networking sessions, several great connections were made. For example, one person’s project needed a filmmaker, and the one filmmaker that happened to be there loved the project and stepped forward to help.

“Difficult and frightening” are not typical elements of social or networking events, but they are components that contribute to creating meaningful, sustainable connections… and being witness to our humanity.

Stand up, tell people what you care about. Be a listener for what matters to others. Contact me (Brigid Greene) to get on the speaker’s schedule. The next session will be March 6 (location will be posted here  and on Meetup.com when confirmed).

Read Seth’s overview of the rules and reasoning behind the Icarus Sessions here.