This newsletter depends on word-of-mouth. Please share it with your friends!
It was one of those magical summer days that seemed to go on forever, but dusk was approaching and I still was wandering a narrow canyon in Utah, unsure whether I had reached the “energy vortex” that friends had described to me. This spot was beautiful, no doubt, but was this it?
“Hey, man, is everything cool?”
I looked up to see a guy in his late twenties. Strange that I hadn’t noticed him before.
Should I ask him? Time was running out. “This may sound odd,” I started, “But do you know anything about an energy vortex around here?”
He smiled. “Why do you think I’m here, dude? This whole place buzzes with energy. But you gotta get out of your head to notice it.”
His eyes were wide and he had an infectious smile; it was almost like his entire being was grinning. The guy looked like a climber: tall with nothing but lean muscle.
“So, you think I’m all in my head?” I asked.
“Yeah, totally. I’ve been watching you try to work out… where is the vortex… how far to the vortex… is this the vortex… is it getting too late… will I get lost… how cold does it get here at night… should I turn back now… is this a crazy thing to do?”
I paused. “That’s pretty spot on.”
“I’m curious,” he said, “How you intended to find an invisible vortex? Did you expect a sign or a plaque?”
“Didn’t really think about that, I guess. I was hoping it would be obvious.”
He smiled again, even bigger this time. “It is obvious, if you stop thinking and just feel what’s around you.”
Being in my head. Yep. That’s what limits me, I thought. All my life, that’s exactly my habit. Think. Calculate. Look for patterns. Seek safety.
“You’re doing it again, dude. Give it a rest.”
He was right. I closed my eyes. Took a few deep breaths. Then a few more. I noticed how hard red rock felt under my feet. Off in the distance, frogs were making a deep, low, booming sound. The sounds of civilization were totally absent. My hands started to tingle. Then my forearms, my chest and the back of my neck. It felt good. Peaceful. Safe. Like I was being hugged.
When I opened my eyes, he was gone. Of course. After a brief moment, I closed my eyes again, felt gratitude for his gift to me, and kept enjoying this magical moment.
Some time later, I woke up in my own bed, with the covers curled tightly around me. It was snowing.
The energy vortex isn’t “out there,” I realized. It’s inside each of us.
Thanks for sharing (and subscribing to) this free newsletter!
Cheers,
Bruce