Friends who are mentors 🍵
Friends,
A few weeks ago, when leaves in the northeast were still swaying and playing with warm winds, I visited my dear friend Trish, who is an equus coach. At the stables, I met Monty, a horse with soft cheeks and an appreciation for dried mangoes. He, with some guidance from Trish, was my facilitator for the day, revealing truths I had locked within myself. Before I walked into a ring with Monty, I set an intention: to let, exist, and trust. I have a habit to push aside my powerful intuition and deep trust in myself to cater to the expectations of others.
When I stood in the middle of the ring and shouted, “C’mon, Monty. Let’s move! Come run with me!” flailing my arms at this fellow, busy munching on tasty lumps of grass, I felt hopeless. The usual story I make up played on repeat in my head: “I’m not good enough for Monty. He must think I’m crazy.” As I looked expectantly at Trish with a worried face, she gifted me one of her golden smiles and pushed me to go on. After what felt like 50 “C’mon, Monty!”s, he lifted his head, perked his ears, and… was that a trot?! After a few seconds, we were in sync, like a flock of birds shooting through the sky in formation. My heart was laughing. “You’re doing great, Monty!” as he galloped round and round the pen. What a lesson this was for me. Because I was willing to persist and trust myself and my connection with Monty, Monty reciprocated. A human from a faraway island and a majestic, chestnut creature could exist in sync with each other.
Today, I also wish to share a story about our landlord, Kermit. It feels strange to call him a landlord, as he is more like a friendly uncle on the block. Kermit owns a few buildings in the neighbourhood we live in, from apartments to restaurants to a new coworking space. I had plans to reach out to him for advice on our Portugal project, but as it goes, the universe already knew, and he contacted me first after reading a previous newsletter of mine. Cradling steaming cups of tea, my husband and I shared our dreams to build a small hotel and artist residency. Woven through our conversation were two main themes: good people and trusting in vision. When I first met Kermit, it was as if I had known him for years. As time passed, we got to meet the people he worked with, and I realised they were all friendly, understanding, and real. Whether they are the tenants we call our neighbours, business partners, or maintenance managers, everyone Kermit works with is a good person, and it turns out this is not by chance. He works only with people he likes. End of story. In fact, when he was searching for a business partner to start his development company, he wrote down a list of people he liked most who could support his dream.
This of course led to the conversation of financing. A lingering question in my head is, “How in the world can we build a hotel and artist residency on just my husband and my salaries?” Kermit reminded us that the most important thing that we have is vision. Even if we had millions of dollars, without vision, our dreams cannot come true. Initially, I winced at the idea of investors, as I had seen so many companies share the reins with powerful people, only to lose their original vision and quickly be transformed into a diluted product. Empowered by Kermit’s words, I now know that I can reframe the concept of “crowdfunding” in our own way. If I am going to build a community-minded hotel and artist residency, I must trust my community to join me in shaping and achieving this dream, together. My husband and I will create a website that clarifies our vision, re-crunch the numbers to show exactly how much money it takes, and offer investment packages in tiers. And as I talk to various investors, whether they are friends or friends three times removed, I will remember what Kermit taught us: stick to people who understand and believe in your vision, and make sure you love them.
And in the somewhat-separate-somewhat-related universe of Snoring Snail, my budding stationery company, things are moving slowly but surely. I’ve painted and finalised a logo and scanned one of my moon paintings, now prepared for the printer. Next up: painting a logotype (“Snoring Snail” spelled out) and ordering a test print! I look forward to sharing a website with you later in November.
I write on Dia de Muertos, Day of the Dead. It is a festival celebrated in Mexico to honour one’s ancestors on the day their souls return to Earth. This morning, my husband and I went on our daily walk to the cemetery saying hi to those long since passed and those still very much alive (mushrooms, ants, the grass, birdos, and the rest of the gang), and tonight, we will cook enchiladas, light candles, and pray for those who made the long journey back to Earth today. May we hold space and honour the dead.
Sending you the energy of candlelight and hearty stews as we step deeper into autumn.
Love,
Haruka