If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost;
that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.

~ Henry David Thoreau

Build a castle in your consciousness.

~ Marilyn

Campbell’s marketing company associates flew to Los Angeles at one point to view the Malibu estate and plan details for the Souper Star Mansion promotion week that summer. I met with them at their hotel the evening of their arrival. It gave them an opportunity to meet me in person and go over some details before they went to the mansion the next day.

We were all relaxing in the lounge when Chad, my direct contact, said that they were planning to do another promotion. He asked if I could find them a castle in Europe. Without even a reflective pause, I quickly answered, “Of course I can, Chad.”

”Of course I can, Chad.” Did I say that? Yes, I heard myself say that. I said it with sincerity and conviction…as if I booked castles in Europe all the time, as if it was no big deal.

Well, the truth of the matter was that it was a VERY big deal. And I said to myself on the way home, “Oh God, what am I going to do now?”

How many thousands of castles are there in Europe? How many castles could accommodate the very specific requirements needed for these promotions? How many would appeal to children, have proximity to attractions, be available to rent exclusively for one week in the summer months, have swimming pools (water is a very important part of the Campbell promotions), accommodate our budget, and on and on. The right castle would be a needle in the haystack to be sure. I had never booked anything outside of the U.S. I had no European contacts.

All I was certain about was that there was a part of me connected to a Presence larger than myself that had the confidence to say (and the nerve to use MY voice to say it), “Of course I can, Chad.”

So I figured that that Presence must know the answer so the logical thing to do was to ask for its direction. And I did.

Within a very short time, I had the intuitive prompting to post an ad on two Ryze business networks. I explained what I was seeking, listed the requirements for the castle, and offered a generous finder’s fee to anyone who submitted a castle that I would ultimately book for the client.

There was a flutter of interest and I received about seven responses with suggestions for castles in various countries of Europe. I researched the websites, eliminated a few and gathered details on the rest. I spoke with the owners or managers of these castles and was told truthfully that a week’s stay at these venues would be quite boring for children as there would be nothing to do in the isolated countryside. Also, castles in Europe don’t normally have swimming pools.

Then I received a final reply from a Ryze member which included the website for a castle called Eastnor Castle in England, www.eastnorcastle.com. I look at the site with astonishment and just knew. I knew Eastnor Castle was the one.

Eastnor was not only the most remarkably beautiful castle I had ever seen, but it would be the same even if I were looking through the eyes of a 10 year old…

Eastnor is a dramatic, fairytale castle and setting situated in a 5000-acre estate within an area of outstanding natural beauty - surrounded by a beautiful deer park, arboretum and lake with magnificent views of the rolling countryside.

Despite its spectacular rural location, the castle is only ten minutes from the national motorway and only two and a half hours from London.

The castle, although privately owned, is open to the public throughout the summer as a family attraction with tours and activities specifically created for children. There is the lawn picnic area, the Knight's Maze and Adventure Playground and treasure hunts. They also offer mini Land Rover driving, falconry, painting and pottery workshops, horse riding, inflatables, circus skills. A swimming pool is within close proximity and day trips can be made to London and nearby theme parks.

The rooms of the castle are all magnificent, including the twelve luxurious guest bedrooms, each individual in style and theme and with stunning views of the lake, grounds or hills.

I knew this was the one. I was so absolutely certain and so excited that I immediately sent an email with the photos to my client. The subject line in the email read. “THIS IS THE ONE”.

I was also excited for the young woman who found Eastnor for me and who would receive the finder’s fee. A former school teacher, she and her husband lived in Mississippi and she had just started her new custom tile painting business.

AFTER emailing the client, which I admit was not the appropriate sequence, I contacted Eastnor to check on available dates and prices, etc. There was no doubt in my mind that this was the right location. I felt it in my entire being. As far as I was concerned, I had found, through the grace of the Universe, the one castle in all of Europe that was absolutely perfect for this client and for Souper Star Castle. It had the “Wow” factor a hundred times over.

You will find it interesting to note that the feeling of certainty never left me, even when I called the castle and was told that Eastnor did not have any weeks available for the summer months we requested and in fact was completely booked for the entire year...

To be continued...

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