It’s a dark Saturday morning in Paris, and I’ve been up since 7am all “bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.” I enjoy early mornings on the weekends, because it’s the one time of the week that you can wake up to complete silence and have nothing but freedom and a white space to think in front of you.

As I was finishing my morning tea, I happened to glance over to the stack of books and magazines on my bedside/coffee table (it’s Paris, every room and piece of furniture serves a dual purpose to fit into a 22 meter squared studio). Sitting on top of the stack was the “My Paris Story” book. This copy of the book was actually mailed to me from a dear friend and co-worker from New York City, who asked me to return it to him signed. And then it hit me, the physical presence of the book. A book that I could touch and turn its pages with my own fingertips. I could not believe that it was real.

November marks exactly one year since I submitted my chapter to Dawn, and the Paris Women of Success began the exciting journey to becoming best-selling authors. Except the only reason that I actually became a part of this amazing project is frighteningly serendipitous.

I had actually already written my chapter two weeks before meeting Dawn, and without even knowing that the idea of the book existed. I woke up one Sunday morning with a burning desire to tell my story. I felt that it was my duty to share with the world that I had pursued my one true dream, relentlessly, for seven long years, and it came true. How amazing and humbling to realize that no, ladies and gentlemen, they aren’t just fooling you with those fairy tale stories of dreams coming true. They actually can. And I was here to bear witness.

Fast forward to the Meetup brunch where Dawn announced the book idea and that the submissions for chapters had already been closed. I rushed up to her afterwards and told her I had a chapter ready to submit, if she was willing to reconsider. She told me I had 24 hours to send it. And 24 hours later I was in. Just like that, in two weeks, I became an author.

Not even one year later in May 2014 “My Paris Story” announced its official launch in Paris, and within 24 hours became an Amazon best-selling book in motivational/self-help and English/foreign books, both in France and in the United States. How’s that for dreams can come true?

I am currently participating in Dawn’s next brilliant project sponsored by her company, Fabulously Successful, called the 100 Days to Fabulous Challenge. Mid September marked exactly 100 days until 2015. Dawn challenged us all to pick a goal, or two, that we had been meaning to accomplish in 2014 but hadn’t gotten around to yet, and DO IT. It has been another wonderful and life-changing journey for me, even though we are only 55 days into the Challenge. It has opened my eyes once again to the amazing and profoundly simple fact that literally anything is possible in this world if you put your mind to it.

So today as I go out into the world, and Paris, I will focus on Day 55’s action step, which is to “pay attention.” Pay attention with my mind and soul to how the universe is supporting my goals and desires. And if it isn’t the universe, then at least I know there is me, and all of the other wonderful gifts in my life, that definitely merit treating myself to a Parisian chocolate ganache.