Gratefulness
“Go out on a limb, that’s where the fruit is.” -Jimmy Carter
In this season of gratitude and giving, thoughts of what makes us grateful became more prominent in our minds. We are so grateful to you, our customers, for finding a home at the Center and telling your friends and family about the wonderful experiences you’ve had here. A week doesn’t go by without a new customer stopping by and saying, “I’m so glad I heard about you!” We are glad too and know that by spreading the word you have and will continue to help ensure that we will be here for years to come. For that we are truly grateful.
The celebrating of our anniversary also made us stop and think about how the Center came to be. It began with a small inner voice saying, this kind of place should be all over the country. When Charmaine Taylor was in her early twenties, she began studying and learning about different ways to look at things. Her upbringing had been very traditional and this was the first time she let herself climb out and see what else there might be to learn. She enrolled in some classes on meditation and intuition at a center in the Northeast and suddenly felt like she was hearing the truth for the first time. The experience she had was so profound she felt there should be a place like it in other cities across the country where people could go and learn just as she did. And so the idea of The Open Mind Center was born.
As often is the case, life happened. Charmaine worked in the corporate world and cultivated a successful career, got married, and had two wonderful sons. Her life was very busy, but all the while she continued to use the teachings she had learned long before and they helped her through many rough times in her life. She never forgot the dream of having a place where others could go to learn and appreciate different ways of thinking and then use them to deal with struggles of their own.
Early in 2007, with a move to Atlanta under her belt, Charmaine found herself with more free time than she had had in many years. Her boys were getting to an age where they were off doings things with friends and extracurricular activities at school and her role in their lives started to evolve. Noticing this, the boys encouraged her to “get a life” in the most loving way possible. Almost simultaneously, she was approached by an individual to help set-up a network of practitioners to assist people through life’s challenges; and watched an acquaintance deal with a difficult situation in a very detrimental way. With these forces coming from all directions, Charmaine felt an overwhelming sense that a place like she had been dreaming of was needed by so many that she finally decided to bring it to reality. She kept thinking, “if not now, when?” The universe was telling her it was time to make her dream come true and open the kind of place she had been manifesting for so many years. On November 22, 2008, The Open Mind Center opened its doors with the intention to be a place of learning, growing, and support.
Charmaine’s original vision was that the Center would be a place where people can learn, grow, and relax in an environment that is stimulating and yet comforting. It would offer the best products and services to bring about positive changes in the lives of the clients who come through the doors. To this day, the vision has not changed. Not only has it brought positive changes to the lives of the clients, it has also made a deep impact on Charmaine and all those who work at the center, as we witness the many lives that have been truly changed because the Center exists. The energy of the Center is warm and welcoming and because of that, people know it’s a haven when they are having a bad day. The practitioners are gifted and empathetic. The clients know that the services they provide will allow them to leave the Center feeling better than when they arrived. The benefits of the original vision are more than Charmaine could have ever dreamed.
Our original mission statement, “The Open Mind Center desires to become the most comprehensive center for holistic learning, creative expression, wellness and environmentally-responsible and inspirational products in the United States”, still guides us today. With that roadmap in place, we look forward to continuing to bring products and services to our clients that enhance their lives every day and give them the tools to handle the stresses that life sends their way, just as intended.