Running your own business can be a magical, marvellous thing. Spending every day working towards a goal that both your heart and your head are invested in really is the sweetest nectar and although my brain sometimes ponders the security that a steady job would provide, contemplating the joyful rewards of aligning with my mission - ultimately, to inspire more people to meditate - and all that it could offer the world helps to bring me back to centre. But whilst earning a living where I get to live and breathe my passions of meditation and creativity on a daily basis is mind bendingly awesome, working alone can also be tough. You create, you email, you blog, you plan, you pack your products… all in your own company which, for me, oscillates between a state of peaceful flow and a heady cocktail of ‘to-do’ lists that can weigh heavily on my shoulders (because mine are the only shoulders there are right now!)
But last weekend reminded me of something I had forgotten over the past few weeks sitting alone in my studio; the power of human connection and the importance of cultivating it. Thank you Lime House Yoga! I was invited to exhibit at their Summer Solstice Fair this year and the event put me back in touch with something I have lost touch with recently; other people! As soon as I arrived to set up my stall on Saturday morning I was instantly greeted with warmth and kindness; a cup of tea from the lovely events manager Debs, supportive chats with my neighbour Natalia of clothing brand Olive & Surf and of course a host of smiley customers who passed through the market over the course of the day offering up lovely comments and words of encouragement. I was blown away by the positive impact these small interactions had on my mental state; I suddenly felt revived, energised and motivated to keep creating. When screen-based interactions are your daily norm it can be easy to lose sight that your products are serving REAL LIFE people in REAL LIFE contexts and I got such a boost from reconnecting to this.
I was so in a flow with people-ing that day that I even stayed for the studio’s free Solstice yoga class afterwards despite the fact that I didn’t have a change of clothes (see image below - it was a little stiff but I am pleased to say that no seams were split!!) and then on for a Solstice Party where we all nestled in reception out of the wind and rain (it was a very British Summer Solstice) cosy and connected as we ate beautiful food together. This, I thought, is the sweet spot…what we live for! The simple joy of connecting and sharing with other beings.
So don’t forget to connect with your community and substitute that URL for IRL every once in a while (sorry that inspiration just dropped in spontaneously and I couldn’t ignore it!) Connection is everything.
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