You are probably wondering why I’ve chosen a Japanese theme with cherry blossoms and a pagoda. A few months ago I had a life-altering trip for work that really brought a dream come true. I had been dreaming of being on a river with a pagoda in the distance. Years ago, when I first had this vision/dream, I thought it was the trip to Thailand where I was producing Miss Universe and had booked Ne-Yo. That was an incredible trip and I loved being in that beautiful country. However, I continued to have that dream a few years later and I couldn’t quite place where it would bring me. At the end of 2023, an amazing colleague and friend who I had worked with on all of the Disney Holiday Specials, Stephanie Heaston, asked me to jump on board to book Crunchyroll’s Anime Awards. It was a dream come true. Everything about Japan was exactly what I had envisioned it to be. The incredible food, the beautiful culture, the gorgeous Shinto temples and the honor of what the Japanese live by: Ikigai. Ikigai is: what you love (your passion), what the world needs (your mission), what you are good at (your vocation), and what you can get paid for (your profession) (Thanks Wikipedia!). I felt that I had truly found my purpose the entire time I was working and exploring Japan. I had always been drawn to Japan–being one of the first kids to fall in love with Sanrio and Hello Kitty, becoming best friends with a friend who transferred from Japan to NJ where she introduced me to shumai for the first time, anything from the Kabuki tradition and the overall tone of doing something with intent. Pure, unadulterated, intent…Living in the moment to the fullest…Carpe Diem.
While I was in Tokyo, I decided to take a few days to travel to Kyoto because I have always been pulled there. I never understood why, but I trusted my instincts. A healer recently told me that I had actually lived a lifetime there and after this incident…I believe it.
I had to tap into my intuition and trust the journey I was on. I had traveled by myself when I backpacked through Europe right after college, and I felt like this trip to Japan was very similar. A trip of exploration of both the country, and finding my true voice…again. I decided to go on a night tour of Kyoto when I arrived via bullet train because I didn’t want to miss one minute of being in this glorious country. I met a few folks on the tour and just as I was getting to know my fellow travelers, we turned a corner… and there it was! THE pagoda that had been in my dreams all of these years. The pagoda I had seen in the distance on a hill in my vision. I knew that this trip was more than just a production for me. I knew this was an important journey for me to travel back to what was important to me. What was my life purpose? What was I supposed to do to help others? How could I make a difference? This trip made me find MY authentic voice and was the beginning of recalibrating my purpose in what I do daily. I love production, but I also love helping others find what their passion and purpose is. Always trust your North Star and believe in your dreams, because sometimes that pagoda you envision, may take you on new adventures you never thought could come true!
