“The Secret” has meant a lot to me in many ways since I first read it several years ago. I harness the law of attraction on a daily basis, and have come to know the power inherent in positivity. I have seen success in my relationships, my career(s), and my everyday well-being, and the best part of that success is knowing I created it!

Growing up my family had a few pets, but they were never welcomed into our home the way they are in some households. Through friends, I have been surrounded by animals that cuddle on the couch, that sleep at the foot of the bed, and that become part of the family. I have always loved animals and felt connected to them in many ways. At age 28, I decided it was time to have a pet of my own. I love both dogs and cats, but because I live in an apartment and travel from time to time for my career as a singer/songwriter, I decided that a cat would best suit my life.

I began to visualize my ideal kitten; I knew I wanted to adopt a kitten in need and raise it from its early stages. I did research on kitten-rearing, called local shelters, and started kitten-proofing my home. I set aside a small envelope with extra money and marked it with my future kitten’s name, “Basil.” I shared my intentions with my friends and family. I would frequently daydream about what my life would look like with a pet… I thought how nice it would be to come home from work and see a furry little creature there to greet me; I longed to curl up and watch a movie with my kitten on my lap. I was even shopping absent-mindedly one day and found a plaque that read “Basil” in the kitchen section of TJ Maxx; I bought it. To top it all off, for my birthday on July 22 my boyfriend Seth’s gifts to me included a small toy mouse, intended for my future Basil.

That weekend, we drove to Long Island to visit Seth’s family. Our plans did not go smoothly; traffic delayed our arrival, our usual parking spot was taken… but it soon became clear that the law of attraction was following its own rules. As we were unloading the car after a long drive, Seth paused to listen to a high-pitched noise in the nearby bushes (the ONLY bushes for several miles in an urban area). “Is that a bird?” he asked, listening. Somewhat anxious to get to our destination, I originally brushed it off, but Seth’s curiosity persisted. He walked away from the car, looking up into the trees and down into the bushes when he said, “Oh my God, this is your kitten.”

“My what?” My heart leapt; I approached the place where he was standing.

“Your kitten,” he repeated and pointed to the spot in the bushes where only a tiny head with wide eyes and big ears was visible.

I was floored. I had visualized a tiny gray and black kitten with a white chest and paws, and it was staring me in the face and meowing. I knelt down on the curb near the bushes and asked the kitten, “Are you Basil?” She meowed.

Seth watched as I talked her out of the bushes and into my lap. She came easily and let me pick her up. As I carried her to our car, Seth searched the area for other kittens or their mother. He came back empty-handed and joined me in the car, where I was bonding with my meant-to-be kitten.

Though we checked the surrounding areas thoroughly to make sure she wasn’t a lost kitten, I knew the moment I saw her that this was the kitten I had brought to me through the law of attraction. Clearly undernourished and riddled with fleas, we had found her at the right time.

We took her in immediately and, over the days and weeks that followed, we nourished her, rid her of fleas, brought her back to her new home in Vermont, and set her up with a vet to keep her vaccinated and healthy.

Five months later, Basil has brought so much joy to our home. She is the ideal kitten I visualized, and not a day goes by when I am not grateful for her and the way she came into our lives.