In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity

It’s cloudy, grey and rainy; A typical day on Pacific Northwest.  We call the month of June “June-uary” on the coast because after the sunny days of May when people get excited about their gardens and the prospect of Summer, the rain comes every year and the temperature drops significantly brrrr.

It’s been 3 months that I’ve been home now. By that I mean not going to work because of the shut downs from Covid.  Some (by “some” I mean extroverts) must be chomping at the bit to be able to go out, socialize in large groups and travel.  I however have been quite content in my comfy shelter of books, movies, music and cooking. Margaret Atwood once said that it wasn’t that we lacked inspiration when writing or creating,  It was being interrupted that killed inspiration. I know exactly what she means.

This time has given me a pause; enough to collect my thoughts, to stop and take note of what my next steps are in order to continue creating the life I want.  I consider myself a quiet person. I’m happy working alone but I’ve always had the spirit of a leader.  Even as a child I’d come up with all these ideas for games and adventures. I’d direct plays and in some of my “bossiest” moments,  even told my sisters what to say while playing barbies. Let say I’ve always had a vision.

Re-launching my business started to creep into my mind when almost a month had gone by and returning to work wasn’t looking like it was happening.  I haven’t lost my job but will be working very part-time starting mid July.  Some would think that starting a business during a pandemic could be the worst idea ever but the way I see it is: I have nothing but time right now.   How many of us have wanted to start something and don’t have the time or worse, like I did back when I had my business in 2010; worked 40+ hours a week AND tried to build a business on the side.

Starting new projects can feel daunting when the state of the world is unclear but I encourage you to start anyway.  Whatever your dream, project, new hobby or business idea is, just jump in.  I find that the more I think about things the more time I have to talk myself out of them and I personally do not want to have regrets.  So, step by step, I built my website, registered my business, set up an online shopping site and even learned to use a shipping label printer; it only took my 5 days of absolute frustration and wanting to quit but I did it.

The business I started up (again) is Flower of Tahiti Organics. I make 2 Organic/Vegan Hair Masks infused with Tahitian Monoi Oil.  Monoi oil has been made by the people of Tahiti for over 2000 years.  It’s made by macerating Tiare Flowers (Gardenia flowers native to Tahiti) then adding them to virgin coconut oil.  The mixture sits for weeks as the Gardenia seeps into the coconut, releasing it’s essential oils and sweet floral fragrance.  https://www.floweroftahiti.com 

The idea came to me in 2010, precisely on a cold rainy day like today.  I was dreaming of a vacation under the sun and rifling through my Aromatherapy cabinet found ingredients for a hair mask. The finished product smelled just like the beach.  I jumped in the shower and put it in my hair. Suddenly my shower was a tropical waterfall in the jungle and the scent of coconut and gardenia surrounding me took me deep into meditation.

I felt like I’d been on a magical island holiday when I stepped out. That’s when I decided to share this product with as many people as I could.

As I mentioned before, I was working 40+ hours a week and all of my money went toward paying bills and debts. Still I sold my Hair Masks surprisingly well for the next 3  years.  Spas, salons, gift shops and surf shops sold Flower of Tahiti across Canada and even in California and Hawaii.

Why just dream about the things we want to do.  In one of her last talks, Louise Hay said “when I turned 80 I decided it would be the best decade of my life”.  She went on to share how she’d always wanted to learn to ballroom dance. After a lifetime of excuses she started taking classes.

I’m so grateful that I’ve had this time to gather my thoughts, have room for inspiration and despite doubts and a bit of fear have jumped in.  I’m currently reading The Alchemist and in the book Santiago learns about listening to Omens.  I realize for many this Pandemic has been a reason for fear, uncertainty and loss.  The Omen I see for myself in all of this has been to remember that this is the ONE life we have and we can choose to let it pass us by or savour every minute of it.

To shop Flower of Tahiti Organics visit my site! New product will be added in the near future.  https://www.floweroftahiti.com

To follow me on Instagram go to: https://www.instagram.com/floweroftahitiorganics/

Love,

Jennifer