Early last year I was reading the Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi. A Swordsman from hundreds of years ago in Japan who travelled as a Ronin with no teacher, seeking and duelling the best opponents of his time. Musashi won over 60 1 on 1 battles to the death. This brought me to the fictional retelling of his life Vagabond which I have slowly read over the past year.
It wasn't only the amazing discipline & bravery that drew me to his stories but the awareness of balance he wrote about by the end of his life. Considered a master in Gardening, Calligraphy and Writing on top of his dominance in Swordsmanship.
In Vagabond after brutally slaying many men and obtaining the title of invincible he is often challenged by a monk on his pursuits. Eventually this leads him to walk away from his life of murder when he finds a small town that is struggling to grow crops. He states perhaps a better goal than being invincible is to "Cultivate and Harvest".
Since reading this I've thought about what the fuck that means. To be vulnerable to the reality of nature and work with it. To plant a seed in the hopes it'll feed a village in months. To be at the mercy of the weather and the risk that brings your crops. The patience of a farmer has stuck with me
As I now try build my business to function in the grander world of the fashion industry with longer lead times & wholesale deadlines, often I'm working on something 12-16 months away. Seeds I won't see harvested till further down the line. Will the weather of cashflow allow me to execute on it, knowing there's 10 things before that have to go right to ensure these projects can see the light of day.
What I thought would take a year to 3 than 5 and now 10 to build starts to feel more slow and methodical. Visiting the crops day by day and not noticing any growth. Although long term gratification has never been an issue for me what seems foreign is the staggered work flow. I now seek idols and mentors of slow calculated growth.
Another Year to set up the Next. What currently appears as a famine I hope one day feeds a village.
- Simon
