About seven to eight years ago, I went on a retreat to a Buddhist monastery in Thailand called Sun Munkt. It was an 11-day silent retreat where I spent 11 days in complete solitude, devoting myself to chores around the grounds, meditation, and the life of a monk. It’s something I don’t like to talk too much about, as I find it braggadocious and so personal—it truly was life-changing in many ways. My morning rituals consisted of 4 AM wake-up calls, one meal a day, and hours of meditation, yoga, and mainly chores—scrubbing the floors, bathrooms, and outdoor natural springs filled with wildlife I never thought I would meet eye to eye. Scorpions, centipedes, snakes, monkeys, and so many spiders and mosquitoes lived with us daily. It was hard for me to share the space with them, but with a deep appreciation for nature, I realized that insects in this world are incredibly magical and complex, filled with shapes and colors I had never seen or noticed before—because for once, I had the time to actually stare at them.
I found a love for the intricate grasses, the veins of the strands of straw, and the rock shapes in the sand I sat on for those 11 days. It gave me so many ideas—from poetry to art—but mainly, it made me a better person. I became more truthful in my craft and was able to identify my thought process, helping me manage my mind, so to speak. This led me to follow the path that was given to me and allow the world to steer the ship rather than trying to control it myself.
Since then, I’ve craved the simple things in life. Being in an industry of ever-changing trends, I’ve found that a life of consuming is extra difficult for me—especially since the majority of my job is all about shopping and helping people find unique treasures. But as I continue to define and refine my goals, I find myself gravitating toward the same colors and the same feelings, recreating them over and over again—perfecting this Zen-like feel I so badly want to live in. That perfection in the simple things is so hard to achieve, and I’m trying to retain this Zen-like mindfulness in my craft
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