After devoting his entire week off to practice his meditation manifestation, Ethan resumed his usual day-to-day routine, assisting his parents with managing affairs at the inn. Ethan's responsibilities encompassed a diverse range of tasks. In the mornings, he delighted customers by serving them breakfast that his mother made, while the afternoons he diligently cleaned and prepared empty rooms for incoming guests. As night fell, he served dinner to the very same guests. It was during his bedtime that Ethan carved out precious moments for himself, dedicating around two hours to studying and practicing.
While many would perceive it as a mundane and dreary routine, Ethan found immense pleasure in his daily endeavors. Firstly, he enjoyed the opportunity to meet new people and immerse himself in their captivating stories. Through these interactions, he not only acquired a solid grasp of the local language but also discovered entertainment out of their tales, where elements of fantasy seamlessly intertwined with reality. The presence of these fantastical elements made his interest soar to new heights knowing they actually happened.
Moreover, Ethan's studies were not imposed upon him by his parents or society; rather, they were driven by his own volition. There existed a stark contrast between pursuing a subject of study that resonated deeply with one's own passions and engaging in one that was enforced upon, bearing little relevance to his chosen field. Have you ever experienced the feeling of dedicating yourself wholeheartedly to a particular subject, driven by your own motivation, as opposed to reluctantly delving into a distant and disconnected area of study that fails to fulfill your genuine needs? For Ethan, the subject of magic was his field of dedicated study and not a disconnected one.
As he was diligently studying and practicing the second manifestation technique, Ethan found his natural ability to vividly visualize his ideas and effortlessly sketch them onto the blank canvas of his meditative state. However, he encountered a stumbling block—he struggled to transform these imaginings into tangible reality. To illustrate the challenge, it was akin to creating a drawing of a flower on a pristine white canvas and then attempting to reach into the canvas, hoping to extract the physical manifestation of the flower. Yet, with each attempt, he unintentionally pierced and ruined the very canvas he sought to bring his creation to life.
Ethan reached a juncture where he felt completely stagnant, uncertain of how to proceed. He was genuinely stuck. The task of manifesting his vision into reality seemed insurmountable, leaving him exclaiming in frustration," Seriously, how in the world am I supposed to bring my vision to life? It's like asking someone how they got a fancy house, and they respond with, 'Oh, it's all thanks to the power of manifestation!' Well, that's just as helpful as asking a single person how to get into a relationship."
Ethan found himself stuck, yearning for someone knowledgeable to guide him through the subject. Alas, he was left to navigate the intricacies of the book's content on his own, without the luxury of external assistance. This stagnant phase persisted for months, stretching even beyond his seventh birthday, with no concrete results to show for his efforts. His mind became an overcrowded maze of thoughts, brimming with ideas on how to make things work. It became so cluttered that his attempts at meditation often ended in failure. Ethan's determination to find a solution consumed him, rendering it nearly impossible to achieve the serene state necessary for meditation until he found his answer.
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Fate smiled upon Ethan as he stumbled upon the answer he had been seeking, unexpectedly hearing a guest recount their extraordinary journey.
"And then, out of nowhere," the guest enthusiastically shared, "this man whipped out a simple wooden plank. To my astonishment, the center of the plank began to rise, gradually forming a conical shape. But that wasn't the end of it! The surface of the cone started to morph and transform until it solidified into a beautifully crafted arrow, entirely made of wood. It was a mesmerizing display of the boundless wonders of magic. Till this day, I have yet to use the arrow gifted to me."
Ethan's eyes widened with a newfound realization as he listened intently to the man's captivating tale. Suddenly, a lightbulb flickered to life in his mind, illuminating the connection between the story and a modern-day process.
"Printing!" Ethan exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. The process of printing, he thought, was remarkably similar to the three steps of manifestation: meditation, visualization, and realistic imagination.
In his analogy, Ethan saw meditation as the electronic canvas within a computer device, providing a blank space for creation. Visualizing one's vision became akin to the act of drawing or sketching on this electronic canvas, carefully adding details and bringing the idea to life. Finally, realistic imagination paralleled the final step—the actual printing of the completed and visualized electronic work, transforming it into a tangible, physical representation.
Ethan's understanding of manifestation expanded, and a surge of inspiration coursed through his veins. It was at point where he could also view the concept of manifestation through the eyes of a weatherologist.
Ethan envisioned the three manifestations of weather: Observation, Forecasting, and Actualization.
Observation represented the initial step, comparable to a weatherologist diligently gathering data from various sources, analyzing current conditions, and monitoring atmospheric patterns. It was akin to observing the elements that make up a desired weather outcome.
Forecasting, the second step, paralleled the visualization process. Just as a weatherologist would use their expertise and knowledge to predict future weather patterns based on observed data, Ethan saw visualization as envisioning the desired weather scenario, mentally painting a picture of clear skies or gentle rainfall.
Finally, Actualization mirrored the manifestation process's culmination, similar to the weatherologist's ultimate goal—seeing their forecast become a reality. Ethan imagined this as the manifestation of the desired weather conditions, where the atmospheric elements align and bring forth the envisioned outcome.
Overwhelmed with anticipation, Ethan hurriedly made his way to his room and settled onto his bed. He prepared himself for the potential outcome of his newfound insight, hoping it would be the key to unlocking his struggling manifestation.
"Please work!"