…and then there was Esther

Day 243

“When we are no longer able to change a situation – we are challenged to change ourselves.”

– Viktor E. Frankl

I’ve been waiting for quite some time for the perfect post to use the above quote. Today is that day.

The Law of Attraction is about manifesting your desires through the power of your thoughts and beliefs, with the idea that you can change “reality” to become what you want it to be by believing you have received your desire, even when the physical evidence around you suggests the opposite.

The story I’m going to share with you today is no exception – it is the manifestation of a dream; the only difference is that this dream was born from a physical reality that changed thoughts and beliefs rather than the other way around.

It is said that when the student is ready, the teacher will appear, and that’s exactly what happened in this case. What’s unique is that the teacher is a 530lb pig named Esther.

A couple of years ago, an average suburban couple decided to adopt a would-be mini pig, who, at the time, was small enough to fit in the palm of their hands. They soon found out that the pig would become a full-sized, rather large animal. By then, they were already in love with their little bundle of joy and giving her up was not an option, so they continued to raise her, along with their two cats and two dogs in their 1000 sq. ft. home in a suburb of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area). Esther even had her very own bed, and was very much a part of their family.

Esther’s presence challenged them to change, and boy, did they. In what Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter call “The Esther Effect“, Esther led them down a magical path to manifest a dream that they didn’t even know they had until Esther showed up, and it changed the course of their lives forever.

They completely changed their diet to become vegan, and eventually, Steve, a real estate agent, and Derek, a professional magician, traded in their professions to build an animal sanctuary that would not only be a haven for farm animals, but a message about the impact animals can have on our lives when we treat them with kindness and compassion, rather than having them for dinner. Take a look at how they made their incredible dream a magical reality, with the help of a not-so-little-pig-named-Esther:

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Blog Beats: Love Me Like You Do by Ellie Goulding

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Being an animal lover, this might be my favorite story yet. #tearsofjoy Steve and Derek are an inspiration in so many ways. They believed in themselves, their dream, their pig and their vision. They didn’t run away from what might have seemed like an overwhelming, possibly impossible dream. Instead, they followed their hearts, raised the funds they needed to get their sanctuary off the ground, and were able to create this wonderful place full of joy and hope, trust and freedom; a place where love is paramount; a place where once-scared animals call home; a place to call paradise.

If you’re in the GTA, I encourage you to visit this wonder pig and her friends at their new home. You can make reservations to visit Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary here.

As trying as some experiences may be, always try to find the message they are meant to give you. Everything that shows up in our lives offers an opportunity to listen to our hearts, hear the whispers of our souls, and live the life of dreams we may not even know we have.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!