True North: Aligning With Your Truest Self

Allowing life to flow with ease in accordance with our truest selves, not necessarily the agendas of others

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My friend Myoshin Thurman is a beauty-maker; she’s one of those people who simply makes things more everything. So, after she originally helped design the entire aesthetic for the café, I knew I had to get her onboard to become our resident window display magical elf each holiday season.

And what a magical elf she has been!

Our pictures don’t do it justice. It’s all about how her creations make you feel.

First off, I have nothing to do with the planning or design. She won’t allow me be a part of any of it. I can’t even be there when it is being installed. Seeing the finished product is truly like waking up on Christmas morning to a tree surrounded by beautifully wrapped gifts.

And just when I thought she couldn’t blow me away more than she had the year before…she does. This year’s theme is a departure from conventional depictions of Santa. Don’t worry, he’s still well-represented. However, our theme is nautical and more specifically, revolves around a compass pointing to ‘True North’ — and how that aligns and connects us body, mind and spirit.

First off, I’m wild about boats and compasses — so I was giddy beyond belief. Clearly, as the owner of a vegan café, I’m all about connecting what’s on our plate to the planet and beyond. But this conveyed so much more meaning.

I also share the story of Myoshin not only to celebrate her contribution to the café, but to speak of connection and trust. When we can trust our own gut — we can trust in others in big ways and small. We can lift each other up and we can recognize each other’s gifts. We can also allow others to see us. Myoshin has the ability to put design to desires, to the ideas I can’t put into words.

In fact one of my favorite stories happened when we first started dreaming of how the newly purchased café should look. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was I wanted, so I conveyed a sense of how I wanted it to ‘feel’. I recall driving along talking to her on the phone. I glanced up at the sky and blurted out something about wanting to feel God, the sky, clouds, angels, stars, floating, inviting, safe. Can you imagine having to work with that for a design board? Ha.

The rest was creative history. She just ‘got it’ and created a color palette, aesthetic and lighting that embodied all of those sensibilities. As a matter of fact, when we first opened our newly expanded space the night before Thanksgiving 2015, a customer walked through the door and said, “I feel like I’m floating.”

Little did he know, he was. He was floating in my alignment to my True North and in alignment with Myoshin’s as well. True North is my internal compass (and yours too). It is our God-given GPS. When attended to and nurtured, it keeps us on track, guides us, keeps us aligned with our deepest beliefs, values and dreams.

One thing I can tell you is that, as excited as I am about our window décor this year, I’m even more excited for it to come down. Why? Because when it is down, I’m taking that big compass and hanging it in my home as a reminder of what is possible when we allow True North to lead the way.

Thank you for being a part of my True North experience — whether you are able to visit the café in person or can only join us here in cyberspace — it all matters. We are all connected and together we can make an impact. Go north friends (True North)!

—Lea Haas, Owner, The Garden Cafe Woodstock