A Series of Challenging Events

If you are interested in stories with happy endings, you will need to first recognize that this story has long been an unhappy one. My name is Landen Sauget and what I’m about to share with you are a series of challenging events. Do stick around, things do get better.

Emerald Monty was gifted, charming, inventive, and quick-witted. She had tan skin, dark hair, a bright smile and soft eyes. Emerald often kept to herself and was always working on ways to be better and create solutions that would leave a positive impact on the world.

“Your card has been declined”, the grocer said for the eight time.

Sweat dripped down Emerald’s back, there wasn’t enough room left on her credit card to cover basic groceries for the week. She anxiously added her savings account to her phone with enough left for two more similar transactions. The payment processed; the transaction screen finally read “Approved”.

The grocer and Emerald both let out a sigh of relief. Emerald thanked the grocer for her patience and made a quick exit. She was hungry, embarrassed and frustrated.

It was snowing outside, something that wasn’t typical on the Island. Emerald walked bag in hand, consumed by her thoughts.

“How have my finances gotten so bad?”

“How am I so broke?”

“Why haven’t any of the cover letters and job applications I’ve sent out landed me a role yet?”

“How have I gone from on top of the world and helping those less fortunate to not even being able to buy groceries?”

“Why isn’t my music making me enough to live off of yet?”

“Why has learning to invest required me to lose so much to the market?”

“Why isn’t my freelancing work making me any income when I’m helping three people?”

Emerald’s feet arrived at the welcome mat of the guest suite she had been living and working out of. Three months ago, she moved across the country and was renting the suite from her brother Monty and sister-in-law Shauna’s for $100/week while she worked around the clock to get make her dreams come true. The island was beautiful and the conditions were much better than her previous living arrangement, in more ways than one.

Emerald had spent the last year working on herself and learning/producing/mastering & releasing music, reading finance/self-improvement books, applying to jobs that fit her marketing skills, interviewing, and working on my inner dialogue. Yet somehow, she still had amassed a $17,450 credit card bill she needed to pay off and a $25,000 loan.

Emerald’s rational to some of the debts was that the money she lost to the stock market was similar to all the years of tuition she paid before eventually receiving her diploma with distinction. That rational really did help in remaining consistent in learning about the market and connecting with mentors and other individuals who have a success and growth mindset.

Growing up Emerald’s parents often argued about finances. Although they lived in a three-story home on a private street with other high-income families, only her father worked and managed the finances while her mother took care of extra-curricular’s and made home-cooked meals. From a young Emerald learned it would be easier on both her parents if she tries to figure out her own finances.

She had just recently cleared all her debts from her five-year degree, which she worked full-time during, so this regression and deeper debt kept her up often.

Learning about stocks and building generational wealth became a top priority to Emerald, but she knew that she wouldn’t learn financial literacy overnight.

“Maybe I just needed to be better…” Emerald thought aloud.

She was had always been rather difficult on herself and was well known among her friends for her tough love. Maybe it was the years of childhood trauma.

Emerald reflected for a few minutes longer while her fingers un-curl and unthaw. The pins and needles were just the right amount of pain to redirect her from her mind and back to the present reality.

She shook her head, as though she were shooing the thoughts away, “I’m never going to feel this way again.”

Emerald put her groceries away and went straight to her desk, the only hunger she felt now was to be heard. She sat down to her favourite Sarasa 0.7 ballpoint pen and little black Moleskin notebook and hair tie. People often knew when Emerald was in thought because she would wisp back her dark hair and tie it tight at the top of her head. She often trusted her notebook with her words more than others, so she wrote often.

A wave of inspiration had surged over Emerald, flow state had entered the chat…

Date: 2/24/21

“I’m often asked what I would be doing if money weren’t an issue, and I’ve positioned myself in a way where I have many hobbies that can in theory generate income. I know it’s still the beginning and that unforeseeable circumstances like a worldwide pandemic and the loss of my job are out of my hands, but I need help. I need to know I can still eat. I’m not going to give up just yet on my dreams, but I there’s got to be some financial miracle I can conjure up. Angels, Universe, God, Spirit, I’m asking for your help in clearing my debts and giving me more than I could ever expect. I know you can do it just like that. With harm to none and the good of all, show me all the good karma I have racked up. Help me sleep easily once again. Give me the freedom to live, with ease, the life you put me here to experience.

I want to thank you for all I have now from this chair, pen, little black book, to my health, shelter surrounding me, good people, money in my account, clothes on my back, knowledge, and clean drinking water. When my prayers are met, I promise I won’t stop trying. I’ll try even harder. I owe it to you and the people who have supported me along the way, and I owe it to the people I inspire.

-Emerald”

Emerald had recently made use of a music production plugin referred to as “Vocal+” and it reminded her of the candid reality that what set humans apart from the rest of the animal kingdom was the ability to use their voices to express desire. Lightbulb.

Emerald read the entry aloud. There was something about vocalizing the depth of the reality she was living which was far more piercing than before.

A tear lands on the page and startles Emerald. She turned, plugged her headphones in to her phone and played a Healing Frequency playlist.

“I’m going to close my eyes and drift off for a bit now.” She said to no one.

Emerald had been single for four years now, that story is full of non-consensual first, second and third times and far more equally challenging events.

The playlist played for a half hour…

BUZZ BUZZ BUZZ

Emerald turned over to see an unexpected message from an unfamiliar number, “From Vocals+” it read. Before she could read it there was a knock at the door. She opened it to find an envelope at her feet. She peered around the corner and saw a tall figure rounding the sidewalk.

Emerald slipped her shoes on, locked the door and followed the figure, envelope in hand.

The envelope read, “Proud of You.”

“Hey, excuse me. Sir?” She was standing directly behind the mystery man now.

He turned around slowly with a warm smile on his face; she had never seen him before but he felt familiar. He repeated the words written on the envelope back to her, “Well done, I’m proud of you.”

"Who was this familiar face and what is he on about? " Emerald thought to herself.

“I’m not sure I know what you mean?” Emerald said as she studied his eyes. In them she saw only reflections of herself.

“Open it up”, the man said as he held his smile and gently gestured toward the envelope.

Inside, a $20,000 cheque. It was addressed to Emerald, and the sender had the same last name as her, but she wasn’t familiar with the first name.

"W-Huh? I can't accept this", Emerald remarked as she tried to hand the envelope back to him "I don't even know who you are!"

"Haha right, where are my manners? I'm Frank. We've been connected in the 5D for a while now...every time you write in your little black book, it gets read back to me in my mind. At first I wasn't sure where it was coming from, but when you read your most recent entry out loud, something just clicked and I knew it was you frequenting my mind. I think we're both ready to commit to something bigger than the things that keep us up at night."

"Nice to meet you Frank. What's the money for?" Emerald asked.

"Well, I've got a lot of it and I need your skills and outlook on life to help put it to good use. I've been studying you for a while and I think we'd make a great team..." Frank ran his left hand through his hair and looked down at his feet, "I'm sorry it took me so long to approach you, I've been rearranging my life so the offer could be stable. I think we'd make a great power couple."

"So what exactly are you proposing?" Emerald asked. He felt so familiar. She knew there had to be something magical in this connection.

"Let's start by exchanging phone numbers so I can announce myself next time before I show up at your door", Frank said as he ran his hand through his hair again laughing.

"Deal", Emerald took her phone out and they exchanged contact information.

"I've owned and invested in a few successful businesses and from what I've seen of the way you present yourself online and the work you've accomplished, I'd really like to invest in and scale a business with you. You choose the niche, I'll be with you at every stage to help it grow", Frank said.

"What's the catch?" Emerald tilted her head, she tried to read Frank and any micro-expression he may show.

"No catch. The first $20,000 in your hands is my formal offer of partnership", Frank kept his composure, he was being genuine in his offer... "I will 5x this initial amount and your salary will increase as the business takes off. Like I said, I've been preparing this offer for a long time now. I want to grow together."

"I'm grateful for this opportunity, I hope you'll understand when I say I'll need some time to think this all through. I've got a few important projects and I just don't know how I would time manage this all", Emerald said as she extended the cheque back to Frank.

Frank gently nudged Emerald's hand and the cheque back down to her side, "Understandable. You mean your music, investing, and working for a development company right? I like your music and think you'd be able to manage this well with your other passions. Let's talk it over, over sushi."

"Alright", Emerald said as her belly gargled as though to also agree to the arrangement.

They took a taxi to a sushi spot in town.

A few weeks later, Emerald moved to the neighbouring city where her and Frank built their business from the ground up and left their legacy will balancing a genuine work-life romantic partnership.

My name is Landen Sauget and it brings me great joy to say this series of challenging events blossomed into something unexpectedly beautiful.