You won't discover who you are through introspection. Who you are today is a result of external stimuli and how you process those stimuli. Trying to decide on the direction of your life by closing your eyes and thinking is the most limiting thing a human can do, because it leads you to ignore all the serendipitous events that make life so wonderful. Introspection is at best a wonky tiller in the ocean that's life.
Your direct environment has an outsized influence on who you are as a person and how you'll see the world. Put yourself in an environment that allows you to grow.
— X-Team (@xteam) July 18, 2019
The incredible importance of the outside world on who you are is why, contrary to popular opinion, rabbit holes are worth your time. They're the raw inputs that you need to understand what you like, to experience more of the world, and to learn who you are and who you want to become. A rich life is a never-ending stream of why nots.
Last July, over fifty X-Teamers experienced one of the biggest rabbit holes of their lives as they descended upon the Hotel Krasicki castle in Lidzbark Warmiński, Poland. They attended the first-ever X-Summit, a three-day, epic adventure full of chaos and tranquility alike.
X-Teamers at the event were asked to capitalize on the unique opportunity ahead of them, to shake as many hands as you can, to explore the castle as thoroughly as possible, and to tell your story and learn about others'. It was time to have fun and get inspired.
"Our real discoveries come from chaos, from going to the place that looks wrong and stupid and foolish." (Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club)
The X-Summit was chock-full of events meant to energize and inspire X-Teamers. We kicked off Saturday with a Medieval Tournament. After all, if you're in a castle, you have to act it. It had everything you could think of: archery, horseshoe pitching, dagger throwing, and ax throwing. A few X-Teamers were frighteningly good at some of these games, too...
Of course, this being X-Team, it quickly turned into a competition of Lions vs Wolves, something that was a recurring theme throughout the X-Summit. X-Teamers love to compete, something that was most evident when they tried to assassinate X-Team Core Members.
You read that right. During the Bounty Hunter event, X-Teamers had to track down specific X-Team Core Members and assassinate them with their camera. Different targets required different ways of elimination. Sometimes, it required a headshot (a picture of their head), while other times it required a poisoned drink (a picture of them drinking) or death from above (a photo from higher up).
Apart from all the assassinations, X-Teamers also spent half a day playing paintball. At one point during a capture-the-flag game, X-Team CEO and Chief Envisioner Ryan Chartrand found himself in dire straits. He was the only player left on his team, with the enemy team vigorously searching for him. On top of that, he could barely see, because the paintball mask didn't allow him to wear his glasses.
But, in an epic turn of events that's certain to become part of X-Team lore, he sneaked his way to the enemy mountain, captured their flag, headshot an enemy he could barely see, and ultimately won the game. His team burst out in cheers, while the other team wondered what aimbot he was using.
But it wasn't all competition. As X-Team's yoga instructor, Paul McCrodden organized early-morning yoga sessions for willing X-Teamers. A few deep stretches and some breathing work are a great way to start the day off right!
X-Teamers also connected through video games and card games, through whisky and wine tasting, and through kayaking in nature (although that too, of course, turned into a competition). All these events were great opportunities to talk to one another while learning something new or doing something fun.
Mateusz Wozniak won the Bounty Hunter event and was promised something called The Box. He received The Box during the closing ceremony of the X-Summit and opened it in front of everyone. But it was empty... And of course it was.
After all, you can't expect every rabbit hole to lead somewhere. Some will inevitably go nowhere. Don't let that be a source of disappointment. Eventually, you'll open a box and find yourself in a rabbit hole that will drastically change the course of your life for the better, that will show you how much more you're capable of, that you can't ever stop growing, that you're !Done.
Outside the castle, fireworks exploded into the sky and colored it vivid.