The power of intention. For me, 2016 was a year that underscored the power of intention, the power of manifestation. Consider the following story:

In the early part of 2012 I was finishing up working with a Directional Coach or Life Coach, we had come up with a plan for my career. I was going back into education, but this time instead of the university, it would be early childhood education. I did extensive research on accreditation programs and was preparing to enroll in school again, excited about this new direction. And then, this voice/thought came through loud and clear saying, “Finish the novel.”

You see, I’d been writing for several years for fun. Each year, I eagerly awaited November 1st, because it heralded the beginning of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), where I would immerse myself in the manic task of writing 50,000 words (roughly 200 pages) in 30 days. I loved spending an entire month in my imagination, exploring different subjects and genres. I wrote Women’s Fiction, Historical Fiction, Memoir, and Fantasy. Then, come November 30th, with the satisfaction of having reached the 50,000-word goal, I would file away the pages, and I would get on with life.

Until that day when the voice/thought said: “Finish the novel.”
That day, I called up my coach and said something along the lines of:

Me:  Um. You know that plan we came up with? Well. I am hearing a voice that’s saying that I should finish the novel.
My coach:  How does that make you feel?
Me:  I feel like vomiting.
My coach:  Great. I think you should finish the novel.

Four years later, I have a publishing contract for my fantasy trilogy, THE LEGACY OF THE HEAVENS.

So what happened in between?

First, a lot of hard work. Writing. Rewriting. Editing. Rewriting. Tears. Editing. Beta Readers. Rewriting. Editing. Tears. Rewriting. I rewrote that first novel seven times between 2012 and 2016.

Second, I invested in the process. I bought books on writing. I attended seminars on writing. I hired professional editors. I went to conferences. I put money into this project.

And lastly, and perhaps most importantly, I set intentions. I wrote myself acceptance letters from agents that I wanted to work with and hung them over my desk. I drew pictures of my audience and hung them over my desk. I designed my book cover, down to the ISBN number and jacket copy, and placed it next to my computer. I made logins and passwords into affirmations so that every time I logged in to write I reminded myself of my goals and I sent those intentions out into the world. I worked as hard on the manifesting as I did on the writing.

I wanted to share this anecdote with you because I believe words are powerful. In a time when many feel disempowered it is important to recognize the strength that resides within all of us. With our words, we have the power to heal as well as to harm. It is an awesome responsibility. But I also want to encourage you. If you have a dream, a desire, a vision, I hope that you will continue to work TOWARD it, to work FOR it. Don’t let your dreams languish. You are the only one who can make them come true and I am looking forward to seeing it.