This past week, I attended Summit Outside, an 850-person gathering of entrepreneurs, artists, investors, and thinkers on Powder Mountain in Utah. The experience was incredible — it provided a glimpse into the future of medicine, the nature of relationships, and the pursuit of happiness. Here’s what I learned:
1. Medicine will become preventative and personalized. Our current system is more “sickcare” than healthcare. That will change. Rob Brazell, a medical futurist, led a discussion with Drs. Dietrich Stephan, Partho Sengupta, and Bala Ambati. The central theme was a shift in approach, not technology. Quantity and quality of life will be determined based on individual genetics and giving clear economic choices to patients. This starts by testing and understanding an individual’s predisposition to certain outcomes, then adjusting lifestyle and accessing personalized techniques to minimize the most likely health detractors.
2. Art creates change. Explorer Conrad Anker climbs to combat climate change. Musician L.P. sings to inspire and explore. Photographer JR combines art and action to examine freedom and identity. Philippe Petit walks on wires and performs magic to defy authority and celebrate individuality. These artists showed that change is activated by honest expression, and each of us must find our outlet for our authentic selves.
3. It’s never too late to start over. One of my most enriching experiences came from a conversation with Heracio Harts, a former prisoner of San Quentin. After making, in his own words, “some very bad decisions,” Heracio dedicated his life to serving others. The culmination was his participation in The Last Mile, the brainchild of venture capitalist Chris Redlitz that helps soon-to-be-released prisoners launch tech-based entrepreneurial ventures. With the help of Hollywood producer and juvenile inmate advocate Scott Budnick, Chris was able to help Heracio and his peers remake their lives through entrepreneurship. Heracio’s thoughtfulness, ingenuity, and gratitude served as a reminder that it’s never too late to start over.
4. Slow down to appreciate what’s around you. The event’s name was Summit Outside, and it lived up to the moniker. We slept in tents, lathered on sunscreen, sweated frequently, and showered occasionally. Each day, I was struck by the nuances in the surrounding landscape. The crisp air and big sky provided an invitation to slow down and appreciate both the outside and the inside. I found myself thanking God often and examining my fears, hopes, and insecurities. Upon arriving home, I noticed and appreciated what’s often taken for granted, things like showering without flip-flops or maintaining a consistent temperature. I’ve been asking myself why I needed such an experience to create this awareness.
5. Everyone struggles with relationships. Relationships were a consistent topic; speaker, author, and therapist Esther Perel was largely responsible. Her matter-of-fact tone and thoughtful insights were so engaging that her single talk spawned at least three other discussions throughout the weekend. She said, “Vulnerability is what makes us human, and we partner with people whose vulnerabilities are our proclivities.” She also shared three elements that she’s noted create strong relationships: admiration, encouragement, and respect for each other’s space.
6. Amazing teams can do incredible things. It would be difficult to overstate what a monumental job the Summit team did in pulling off the event. In less than 100 days, they built an outdoor community for 850 people on a mountain, complete with world-class concerts, dining, and activities. They assembled an incredible group of musicians, artists, leaders, and thinkers who performed and enlightened. Somehow, they managed to do this with minimal impact to the environment while injecting over $2 million into the local economy. They also raised over $100,000 for local nonprofits. Their motto is “Make no small plans.” Mission accomplished.
7. Authenticity creates learning and relationships. One of the best parts was participating in a small Q&A session with Jason Russell, facilitated by Guy Raz. Jason made international news when his organization, Invisible Children, put out the “KONY 2012” video. The result was the most viral video in history, a barrage of praise, accusations, and personal attacks, a stint in a mental health facility, and the achievement of virtually everything they set out to do. Guy’s thoughtful questions and Jason’s authenticity in acknowledging his challenges set the tone, allowing everyone to explore. Jason taught me that even the best intentions will be punished for others’ gain — and that’s OK. What’s important is to remember your purpose, ignore the haters, and keep walking.
8. Optimal health is counterintuitive. When I asked Rob Brazell what caused obesity, he said, “Simple: sugar. It’s incredibly powerful stuff, and in nature, it’s extremely difficult to access. But now, it’s like we’ve handed a light saber to a 5-year-old. Bad things happen when you hand light sabers to 5-year-olds.”
Jeffrey M. Smith, founder of The Institute for Responsible Technology, provided an incredibly powerful presentation on the dangers of genetically modified organisms (GMO), specifically Bt-toxin corn, which represents most corn crops. Dave Asprey of Bulletproof Executive offered tips for optimizing health, including eating a high-fat diet, supplementing with magnesium and vitamin D, and performing high-intensity exercise for no more than 15 minutes per week. Whether it’s minimizing sugar, eliminating GMOs, or radically altering the way we approach our bodies, the path to optimal health is anything but intuitive; we must make our own decisions about what we consider “healthy.”
Getting 8500 feet up wasn’t essential to learning all these lessons — but surrounding myself with these insightful thinkers certainly was. Summit Outside was a great experience, and it further reinforced my favorite Woody Allen quote: “Showing up is 80 percent of life.”