In his book I’m Rich Beyond My Wildest Dreams I am I am I am Thomas Pauley suggests adding the line (paraphrasing here) It is seeking me as I am seeking it when writing your goals.
The idea being what you want is attracting you as you are attracting it.
I recently saw this in action.
As a novelist one of the first decisions I make after deciding on a plot and the characters is setting. As part of my selection process I take into consideration whether or not I’ve been to the area I’m considering.
If not then I consisder whether I’ve been to a place close or in some other way similar location.
In the case of my Dragon Core series it wasn’t just deciding between Seattle and New Orleans it was deciding on the setting within the setting.
I lived in New Orleans but so long ago I didn’t feel I could do it justice.
When it came to Aesop’s Cove I had the perfect location in mind as a “stand-in.”
I planned on having it as a place I could go work at so I could really soak up the vibe for the story.
Excited to have this ironed out I went with hubby for a celebratory lunch only to learn we’d shown up on the last day.
I remember staring at the waitress in shock as she told me they were going out of business.
Timing
What are the chances?
She brought the boss over after I explained why we were there. He was polite but strained.
No wonder.
Though I was ready to go forward with the story I knew I had to find a suitable place as a stand-in for Aesop’s.
To serve as a place to go when I needed an energy tune-up during times of writing fatigue.
Weeks turned to months and I could not find a suitable location.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Waterfront
For a variety of reasons including serious career burnout I took time off from writing.
A lot of time.
During this time I focused on self-care.
A lot of walking.
As I walked I sorted through challenges, mysteries, and solutions to those mysteries.
Many of those mysteries related to manifesting goals.
What I didn’t do was focus on the challenge of finding a suitable location to be a stand-in for such an important plot element.
I just kept walking and “not” thinking.
One day I decided to try to get a bit of work done. At the time I was more thrilled with the idea I’d be able to do a bit of writing than where. As a result I gave little thought before slipping into a local haunt and sitting down to work.
Ch-ch-ch-changes
It had been some time since I’d been there.
Thank you Covid lockdown.
On some of these occasions I struck up conversations with visitors either local or not. While I occasionally mentioned what I was doing more often than not I just enjoyed listening to their stories.
I love hearing people’s stories.
I continued this trend and came to see the location was becoming key in my recovery from burnout.
Likely because while I was working there I didn’t associate it with work.
I associated it with relaxing and the opportunity for spontaneous conversation.
I tuned into the music playing, the conversations.
Conversations that took my mind off my troubles.
And then it hit me. I’d found my Aesop’s.
It only took about a year of not looking for it.
On a recent walk I pondered the mystery of how this happened. I’d been in that place before burnout and never considered it a suitable stand-in for the Cove. No sooner had that thought surfaced then Pauley’s words came to mind.
It is seeking me as I am seeking it.
During the time away from writing due to events beyond anyone’s control the place underwent a shift.
Thank you Covid shutdown.
I came to understand that as I was changing through my focus on self-care and health and wellness the location and its employees were also changing. By the time I circled back around it had become what I needed.
The Lesson
If only I had changed or only that location had changed it’s doubtful I would have found it to be a suitable stand-in. It’s because we were both pulling mutual energy for the same or similar goal that I was able to manifest what I needed.
One of the bigger changes was that they wanted to be more than just a place to hangout. They wanted to serve their diverse customers’ needs in ways I feel is friendlier.
Warmer, more inviting.
More like how I pictured Aesop’s Cove.
In coming to understand this need for transformtive change not just in myself but in some other aspect of the goal I found myself relaxing about a key element in the manifestation game.
Time
I’m more relaxed about how long the goal may take to manifest because I now truly understand it won’t til things are in place.
And that may take time.
Elizabeth Maxim 
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