I apologize for the delay in posting the review. I originally had planned do a recap after each day (it was a three day conference), however after finding out the hotel charges 15 dollars a day for internet, I decided against it. This worked out well because the conference was packed with information so waiting has given me a week or so to completely digest the experience.
Why did I attend?
I’ve received a few email’s asking why I decided to attend. I’ve been a big fan of Steve’s blog for a while now, reading him on and off for the past 2 years. I found his website soon after the death of my friend and it gave me plenty to contemplate while helping me cope with my loss. I also resonated with his idea of oneness and how we are really all one. His article The Meaning of Life really got me thinking. Because I’ve liked much of what he writes about I decided I’d make the trip to Vegas to hear his principles in person. I had originally planned to attend the first CGW but I unfortunately would then miss a bunch of class. Lucky for me, the second workshop was scheduled just a few days before I had to go back to school, so I figured it was meant to be. 
Before The Conference:
The conference began on Friday morning but I flew into Vegas Thursday night. My cousin who lives in San Francisco decided to come to Vegas to hang out with me for the weekend which turned out to be a lot of fun. Although she didn’t go to the conference, we explored some Vegas shows together at night ( I loved the Lion King). When I arrived Thursday night I spent some time just walking up and down the strip taking in the scenes of Vegas. I also stopped in on the meet up at a local cafe which I found to be very cool. The energy of everyone was extremely upbeat. It was also nice to meet several of the attendee’s who I had already spoken to via Twitter of Facebook.
Day 1
Going in to Day 1 I was somewhat nervous. Out of the 100 or so attende’s I was one of the youngest ( There was also another attendee who was also 18 but for the most part everyone was in their late 20′s or early 30′s.) It was definitely interesting to see the wide range of people who attended. To name a few groups, there were raw foodists, entrepreneurs, and people interested in physic development. There was also plenty of diversity in terms of spiritual beliefs of the group which I found to be refreshing and thought provoking.
During Day 1 Steve gave an in-depth overview of the 7 principles in his book. For anyone who has ever read the books these principles should be fairly familiar. For those have not yet read the book I’ll give a brief summary of the principles.
Love: Love extends further than just being an emotion. Having love in your life means being able to connect and communicate effectively as well as being open to making new and lasting relationships. Those who lack love surround themselves with people who bring them down rather than help them be the person they know they are meant to be. If you are in alignment with love your social circle is a source of energy rather than a place
Truth: Truth is being willing to admit and accept your current situation as is. Are you happy with your job? Your relationship? Truth means accepting your reality even if you’re not happy with it. The idea behind truth is you can’t move on unless you’re willing to accept what is. Turning your back on truth means inviting false hood and denial. You have to be able to recognize where you really are before you can get to where you want to be.
Power: Do you have the ability to create the reality you desire? Power means being able to consciously and deliberately create the world around you. Are you living the life you want? Or do you allow your relationships and circumstances dicate how you live? Power involves courage and taking action to bring you closer to your goals.
As shown in the photo, the three principles also go on to create other sub principles. They are courage, authority, and oneness.
Courage: Courage is created from combining the principles of Love and Power. Simply put, courage is taking risks. Courage is about facing your fears head on rather than running from them.
Authority: Authority is created from combining Power and Truth. Authority is the perfect combination of action and knowledge. Too much action with out knowledge will only lead you in circles, whereas too much knowledge without action is only setting yourself up for routine failure.
Oneness: Oneness is the result of both Truth and Love. The idea of oneness states that we are only part of an entire whole. Oneness means contributing to humanity rather than simply living from a moocher mindset. The idea of oneness states that the more you help others the more help you receive in return.
All 6 of the principles add up to create the 7th principle Intelligence. Are you living an intelligent life? Assuming your daily life is congruent with truth, love, and power it’s safe to say you’re living an intelligent life.
Overall I found Day 1 to be very helpful. While I didn’t learn anything new per se it was nice hearing Steve talk about his principles in person. I also found the various exercises we did throughout the day to be very valuable, especially the exercises that required us to step out of our comfort zone ( dancing on stage during break for example.)
Day 2 and Day 3
While day 1 was an overview of the principles Day’s 2 and 3 took a more in depth look at the principles and how they apply to our everyday lives. On day 2 we talked about career and finances as well as habits and during day 3 we covered relationships, skill building, and health. Going into each of these areas in depth was extremely helpful for it gave one a more complete picture of how the principles relate to our lives. During each section Steve gave us time to contemplate where we currently stood in each area and allowed for us to write down ways for us to improve. Doing this greatly enhanced my clarity in terms of where I was and where I wanted to be.
Throughout the workshop Steve used the analogy of Planet A and Planet B. Planet A is where you are right now, and planet B is where you want to be. In order to reach planet B you must first accept that you are actually on Planet A, doing so requires Truth. Also to get from Planet A to Planet B you must surrond yourself with people who will help love and nurture you thus the principle of Love. When you surrond yourself with people who inspire you it allows for you to give more back to humanity. Being stuck on your planet A isn’t going to do anyone any good. Getting from Planet A to Planet B also requires power. Can you take action to where you will reach where you want to go? Will you show courage and take risks? I found the Planet A and Planet B analogy to be very beneficial in terms of getting clear on where I want to be.
Social Connections
By far the greatest aspect of the conference was the networking I was able to do. The energy of the group was just amazing. I grew a tremendous amount by just going around the room and introducing myself. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t intimidated at first, but as the workshop went on I found myself more and more comfortable. The group was incredibly accepting and supportive as was shown when individuals shared their hearts on the stage. I was amazed at the amount of hugs given out.
Out of the 100 or so attendee’s I expect to stay in good contact with at least a quarter of the group. I throughly enjoyed meeting everyone and hearing their own story. During the conference I also had several people come up to me to tell me that they read my blog, which just amazed me. While I love receiving emails from my readers it was neat to just connect with a few of my readers in person. I even had one person compliment me on the work I did on Reality Switch (an e-book I coauthored with Glen Allsop.) I’d like to say that was the highlight of my trip. 
Having the opportunity to meet so many remarkable people reminded me how amazing relationships can be. Far too often we under estimate how important our relationships really are. I even recived several hugs from KB and Crystal Silver.
Transformations
Unlike some of the other attendees, I didn’t have any major breakthroughs during the conference, however the workshop did give me a little kick in the rear to get going. Heading into the workshop I had a reasonable idea of where I wanted to go with my life so my attending simply reaffirmed what I already knew.There are a few things that I know I need to work on especially in the area of relationships and health but nothing substantial. Being around so many amazing people definitely raised my energy levels so for that I’m extremely grateful. It’s still far to early for me to say any of any long term impact of attending the conference but I’m definitely glad I went. The workshop did make me realize how important it is to surrond yourself with people who are going to help you reach your goals and give more back to humanity.
Las Vegas
This was my first time in Vegas and I can definitely see myself going back, but probably not until I turn 21. I’m a big fan of blackjack so I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to play (being that I’m 18.) Although I was able to sneak in a few dollars on the slots.
While there I stayed at the MGM Grand one of the few hotels that allows 18 year olds to check in. They hotel was on the opposite side of the Flamingo so each morning I had a bit of a walk which I didn’t mind one bit. I really enjoyed the walks up and down strip as I spent most of the time people watching.
While in Vegas I also went to see the Lion King with my cousin which was an absolutely AMAZING show. If you ever make it out to Vegas I highly recommend seeing it. The food in Vegas was a bit step but everything else was top notch.
My stay in Vegas was a good one (Coming home from the airport not so much.)
Overview: Should You Attend?
For 500 dollars (as well as airfare and hotel) the trip to Vegas can be a bit costly, however I found the experience to be well worth the price. The opportunity to meet so many amazing people as well as meet Steve in person is just too good to pass up. The conference was surprisingly non controversial unlike many of Steve’s blog posts. Not once did I feel as if I was being pressured into a certain belief system. If you got anything out of his book I’m almost certain you would benefit from attending to the workshop. If you have any more specific questions feel free to throw me an email.
Final Verdict: It can’t get much better than spending an entire weekend with loads of people who love personal growth.
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Hi,
Glad you made it and happy you had a good time there. I’ve been at the first one and also met some fantastic people. The benefits of this workshop are for real and I also enjoyed the same relaxed atmosphere. I did a whole review of the workshop in October last year, maybe you read it. Like you, I didn’t had any major breakthroughs but, on a more subtle level, this gave me the courage to start a lot of other things I wouldn’t necessarily start before it. I’m curious how you’ll feel in a few months about it, really curious. Just watch what you do and compare it with the “before” period
So, now we all share the power of 3: Truth, Love and Power
)
Hey Bud,
very cool to hear your story! I saw the pic of you and Steve, now you’re half-famous
I’ve been reading Steve’s blog quite a bit lately and learning a lot from his posts but also his style of writing. I can see why his blog has become so popular!
Thanks for sharing!
Awesome story. I always enjoy reading personal experience, especially when they are like this one. I’ve been reading Steve’s blog for years. I can’t even remember how long,
Hopefully we’ll see Steve in Europe, or maybe I’ll have to become the European master
Cheers!
Good stuff man. Sounds like you had a very enlightening experience. Vegas is definitely more fun when you are 21
Thanks for telling us about this Bud. I was curious what Steve’s CGW would be like.
@Dragos: I would have loved to have been able to compare the first one to the second one but I’ll settle for just the second workshop
Alex Wu wrote a comparison between the first and second on Steve’s forums which I found interesting. Apparently the first one had more social energy but in regard to the conference the second one flowed a lot more. Truth, Love, and Power for the win. 
@Diggy: To be honest, I haven’t really resonated with his later stuff, however I still try to take away all I can. It was interesting, at the conference it didn’t seem like he was the controversial person he often portrays in his blog. I think a lot of times he just pushes our buttons in order to make us think. During the conference we did a “Master Slave” exercise (no relation to his latest pursuit.) It was a good exercise that related a lot to personal growth. It really made us think about what we do with our power.
@Henri: Surprisingly a good portion of the people who attended were from overseas. One lady even came all the way from New Zealand! I can’t imagine the cost of coming all that way, but hopefully those who did came away with some major transformations.
@Srinivas: I’m not the biggest partier in the world, however it would have been nice to experience Vegas to it’s full extent, specifically gambling. On the bright side being 18 allowed me to focus on the real reason I went, growth.
@Adam: For sure man. If you have any specific questions just let me know.
I wanted to attend but a trip from europe can be very expensive :S
I resonate with Steve’s principles, although I think different in some areas (I think that’s normal), so I’d really like to take part of one of the next workshops. Also, as you said, the connections you can build once there are invaluable.
Oscar: I think many of us have a love/ hate relationship with Steve which I think is great for growth. Steve mentioned the next workshop should be in late April or early May so maybe you will have the money then.
It was great to finally meet you in person as well. A few of the experiences I had during the workshop rattled my cage a bit, and I definitely went through a few mood swings, but in the end, I think I took away what I needed to hear to blast through the remaining blocks I’ve been allowing to hold me back.
Dragos helped me out with some of them during the first workshop, and I will be forever grateful to him for his kindness, generosity, and spirit of oneness. I feel like I’m ready to share my thoughts and feelings with the world, regardless of how much resistance I may face as a result. I believe wholeheartedly that the work I wish to do is an important, dare I say essential, contribution to creating a better future for humanity.
The concept of oneness is where I resonate best with Steve as well. It makes so much sense to me that we can no longer compartmentalize ourselves, assuming it ever really made sense in the first place. I am continuing to find more ways in which this idea can be applied across the board, even in seemingly unrelated areas of life, work, and play. In fact, I began to feel this way many years ago, but I lacked the philosophical foundation and intellectual sophistication to express myself effectively to the pessimists and naysayers who insisted I was dreaming the impossible.
A big thing for me is the principle of love. I have an enormous amount of love in my heart to give, but I have often felt suffocated by environmental constraints, or at least that has been my perception. In the past couple years, I have learned so much not only about the many amazing people I’ve met, but also about myself and my reluctance to fully express my heart’s desire to the world around me.
That brings me to courage, which is my other main sticking point. According to Steve and practically everyone else who both understands his principles and knows a little bit about who I am, I have truth, power, authority, and oneness down to a science (for the most part, relatively speaking). The place where I am stuck lies at the intersection of love and courage, which makes sense to me because my biggest fears revolve around cracking my heart wide open for all the world to see what lives inside, no matter how wonderful it might be.
Of course there are numerous justifications for these fears to exist. And we all have to work through those blocks once we become aware of the ways we subconsciously validate our actions, no matter how incongruent or irrational they may seem.
The social connections are the most important benefit I’ve received from attending the workshops. Until a couple years ago, I was feeling like I had no choice but to venture out into the world alone because my values were growing increasingly out of alignment with almost everyone around me. Social media has been an amazing outlet for me because I have met more like-minded and open-minded people online than would have been possible even a decade ago when I first started doing web work.
Many thanks for sharing your thoughts on the latest workshop. I look forward to seeing where you choose to take your writing in the future.
Bud,
Great review! I came away with a similar experience from the workshop as well. I must say, you seem to have a great, level-headed approach to the whole “growth” thing. The best thing about meeting you was that you are just a very sociable, down-to-earth person. It’s easy to talk to you about whatever it is you want to talk about, and you seem to carry your burdens in life with grace-a rare attribute for someone your age!
I hope to talk with and share more ideas with you as we all travel this parallel path together. I’ll continue to read your thoughts and will begin to share with you some of mine as well. Blessings brother!
Nick
Hey Nick thanks for stopping by.
It was great meeting with you man. We will stay in touch for sure.
Instead of emailing you, I shall put my questions here so that everybody can see!
What makes you feel forcefully pressured to a belief system?
What made Steve’s blog posts controversial?
Glad that you went there, but if there is a video of the conference that would be good!
cheers! ~ægil
Hi Bud,
It is great to see an update from you on the CGW. It must be amazing to surround yourself with so many like minded people over at the work shop. I’m a fan of Steve too and attending the CGW is definitely one of the things that I would love to do.
Cheers,
Vincent
@ Aegil: Often when you go to workshops there’s a phenomena often known as group think, that is if the entire group believes a certain way you may be pressured into following suit. For example if I go to a conference with the majority of the attendee’s being raw foodist I might begin to feel about eating meat. At Steve’s conference I felt very comfortable with holding my own beliefs.
To answer your second question, just read some of Steve’s most popular articles (such as the one on religion) and you should see why.
@Vincent I think you would enjoy it.
Hey there Bud,
I agree with almost everything you said. For the benefit of anyone else, I thought I’d ask one question here:
I have felt happier, more connected, more in tune with myself-as some might describe it at a higher vibration or energy since the conference. This was kind of a surprise benefit for me because I felt happy and in tune beforehand, so it wasn’t something that I went to consciously change. Anything like that with you?
Hi Bud –
Excellent review of the conference.
I have to agree with you, that in addition to the principles covered in the conference, it was the social connections that really made the conference worth it. I met some lovely people there who inspired me to take my ideas to the next stage of creation. It’s those connections and the continued motivation through them that are keeping that conference alive in my heart.
BTW, I’m glad we got to talk during one of the pair-off sessions. You’ve got a bright future ahead of you.
@CrystalSilver – Keep expressing your heart and try not to fear opening it for the world to see. In the brief time we got to talk, I thought you had some wonderful things to share with the world through your photography and writing.
thanks for the post
how do you get informed about such events? if someone can provide a schedule for upcoming self growth events that would be very nice
Bud, this was an amazing analysis of your experiences at the CGW. Also, I had no idea you had done some work for RealitySandwich.com – that is one of the most enlightening sites I have ever been to. You are so young, yet so wise and determined. I can only begin to imagine what the future may hold for you! Keep up the good work!
Sounds like an amazing experience Bud, a combination of enlightenment and networking, both of which are positive forces for growth and understanding!
Wow, sounds like an awesome experience. I’ve been wanting to go to one of Steve’s conscious growth workshops for some time now, and what you’ve described makes it sound even better than I imagined. I’d say such a trip is worth it even for just the networking you’re able to do!
Thanks for pointing me over here, Bud. I lived in Vegas for the better part of last year and thought about meeting Steve while I was there, but never got around to it. I’ll be going back and plan on meet up then and sharing ideas. Should be fun