Every rose tells the story of one life changed - and another life invited.

Today is a great day! More and more people from around the USA are discovering Discovery and are flying to Austin to attend the workshop. Discovery is growing! A powerful symbol in the experience is the beautiful rose. The song, "The Rose" by Bette Midler is played several times during the Base Camp weekend and also at the weekend's final ceremonies. The words to the song express a major part of what Discovery is all about. It reminds us that, in our struggles and darkest moments, there is potential for renewal; while life can be fragile, it is

important to cherish the moments we have and continue to stretch and take chances. A rose is given to every Basecamp graduate, typically by the person who referred them to Discovery, called their connectors. It symbolizes two things: the work they put in during the weekend, and a "baton" for them to pass on. Today, there are thousands of Discovery roses out there in the world! 

All of us who have given a rose to someone know that there is nothing like it. The experience and the feeling you get from blessing that attendee and changing their life for the better,forever, are like none other. For me, it also means paying forward what my connector, Discovery Austin founder David Dachner, did for me. My wish is that everyone has that experience over and over. But make no mistake, it’s much larger than that! The ripple effect you create changes everything in the world for the better and will come back to you, some way, somehow, in the form of blessings. It's incredible! I say let’s continue paying it forward, what d’you say?

Mike Reeder