Been back for 10 days and have hit the ground running. Or at least my mind has. Before we left for our trip, there were a lot of things up in the air with the new space in Cambridge. My husband, Steven, is the mastermind behind all the beautiful design work in each of our locations. This one is massive and filled with great details, unusual twists and turns, levels, little stairways, and windows everywhere. It is huge as are our plans for it. In a nutshell, we are in over our heads but that is okay.
Up until a couple weeks ago, we were working on a plan for the downstairs that was much more complicated than we felt we could take on given we only had 3 more months to do it. We have simplified the plan in some ways but taken on more responsibilities with others. We are also working on the assumption that we will get the green light from the city of Cambridge. We have applied for what is called “parking relief” and won’t hear back until late March. We can do a certain amount of build out now but can’t risk anything major until we get the permit. Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty to do, and my husband, my sons, and his trusty assistant, Dan, have been demoing, hauling, and hammering away. Tons of work and we don’t have heat yet so it has been pretty damn cold too.
People have frequently asked me, “Are you excited about the new space?” My answer is often the same, “Yes, I am excited, and terrified, and completely overwhelmed.” I know that this project is worthy; it encompasses much of what I feel is important: yoga, vegan food, supporting retail companies with strong social and environmental ethics, and energy and body work. That said, I feel completely intimidated by all the different moving parts.
I have often given this advice to myself and others: If you trust your instincts and act on them, you won’t regret the outcome, even if it doesn’t work out the way you expected. However, if your instincts tell you to do something but you don’t listen, the possibility of regret for a long time if not the rest of one’s life is high. This is an opportunity that my family and I really want to take on even though it feels huge and sometimes crazy. I don’t feel that I know everything. In fact, when if comes to this project, I am really in need of lots of help. The good part is that I have had many wonderful folks offer to help in many different ways. The thing is, this project is not about profit (ha! if anything we are stretching our finances to the max), it is about creating a space where the O2 community can grow, thrive, and maybe most importantly, create change through the interactions that occur, the relationships made, and the consciousness raised. I know, I am an idealist.
If you want to get involved in any way, shape, or form, don’t hesitate to let me know. There is plenty to do in the coming months and we are truly enjoying the community that is already emerging. Calling all the dreamers out there! Mimi@o2yoga.com
You may say that I am a dreamer, but I I’m not the only one….John Lennon
