Welcome to the process!

During a recent conversation with a friend, I was talking about inspiring plans, projects and goals. In a very kind and uplifting way, he told me that none of the plans he had made in his life ever worked. Things always turned out differently, and he actually was very grateful for this, because he could experience his dreams twice: once in his mind and then another time in reality. Now that’s an interesting idea!

Did you ever really think about the expression “the path is the goal”? It must have something to do with setting goals for yourself, and having dreams, only to then see them dissolve or evolve into something else … and really appreciating this. When you learn that this is the way it’s meant to be, you will not be discouraged to make new plans, over and over again, surrendering to the eb and flow of change that is navigating your life.

This conversation made me think about my own planning, projects, and goals for Potential Buddha. In the past months, I have had a crash course in business and brainstorming, only to see my hard-won decisions go in completely different directions, again and again. I know now that nothing turns out the way we think it will, and I am starting to feel that this could just be the whole point.

My meditation instructor and friend Dana once told me to always let go, never give up.  I had chance to learn this when creating Potential Buddha.  We teach what we need to learn, so when you launch a company that says “you’ve already got what it takes, right here, right now”, then I better start practicing what I preach.

‘Always let go, never give up’

I then got so busy making plans for Potential Buddha’s new social community website (launch March, 2008), new events (Living Yoga Event with Yogi Tea,  June 14), a new yoga clothing line (production is in full swing with organic cotton from Turkey, designs from Holland and production in India), that I got into a spin and went off into “if….then” mode. I became a perfectionist. I wanted to stall before releasing all this potential into the world, looking for the next something that was bigger, better, best. And that’s when it hit me: the path is the goal. Now is the time. Not tomorrow.

So here I am, back in the here and now: on this website, in its current form, with our eshop, with it’s cool clothes, and with you, our cherished readers, yoga clubbers and awareness angels. Over the next 2 months I will remain in the present, offering you what I have right now. This, maybe to our mutual surprise, is quite a lot! Like what?

Weekly inspiration

Through a weekly column, I will introduce you to the wonderful new faces that are going to enrich Potential Buddha in 2008. And we will share with you the process of creating a new Potential Buddha world, both online and off.

Quarterly events

By organizing special events such as the Living Yoga Event with Yogi Tea in June, the yummy cooking, real yoga and gentle meditation event we are creating for chief sponsor, we can offer you an exclusive experience with coveted and charismatic spiritual, mind, body and food specialists from around the world. Over the course of 2008, we will work to keep giving you all access to great parties all over the country, with fabulous music by diverse DJs, powerful yoga and a beautiful atmosphere like the summer yoga clubbing tour we did in 2007!

Annual awareness adventures

This year we are launching the first Potential Buddha awareness adventures, an uplifting combination of exotic travel, yoga, awareness work (meditation, reflection, group sharing, creative thinking), great cooking, relaxation and visits some of to the world’s key spiritual and natural landmarks. Like many pioneers before us, our maiden voyage is headed due West, over the ocean, until we hit the Rockies of Colorado, in the USA (4-16 September 2008. Read on and join in!)

Yours truly,

Geertje

(founder of Potential Buddha)