The Vital Force of Life: My Re-Immersion

“‘If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, vibration.” — Nikola Tesla

The Tattered Cover Bookstore in Lower Downtown Denver is one of my favorite places to wander and recalibrate. A beautiful two-story abode filled with copious amounts of natural light from its massive windows, it is a literal paradise for book lovers. 

A cornerstone of one of America’s most iconic independent bookstore chains, many who visit this locale talk of the energetic vibe emanating from the store books and store aesthetics. 

On a recent visit of mine during a patented sunny day here in Denver, I felt the full force of this experience. As I was headed out after strolling for a few hours, a bright yellow book that sat adorning one of the shelves captured my attention.  Without hesitation, I grabbed a copy and headed downstairs to the checkout counter. 

The title of the book “The Power of Vital Force: Ancient Secrets To Transform How You Think, Feel, and Act” by Rajshree Patel. A former federal prosecutor turned ancient wisdom spiritual guide, Patel’s book highlights the importance of being in sync with your energetic vibe. 

Early in the book, she offers readers a simple definition that serves as a foundation for the chapters to come:  

“Vital force,” or “life energy,” is the fundamental energy within and around us that gives us life and sustains our lives. When we’re tapped into that source, we bring more energy —- more life — to everything we touch.” 

Stumbling upon this book was no accident as I was, at the time, stuck in a phase of what I would best describe as “energetic rigor mortis.” Doing a deep dive into her wisdom and perspectives helped deliver a much needed reboot and recharge to my life.   

I immediately resonated with Patel’s admonition in the book’s introduction: 

“Please, question everything you find in these pages! Stay curious. You’ll find the answers for yourself.”

She exhorts that “everything is energy — we know this from modern physics — human beings and all living things are made of electromagnetic energy —- vital force dictates everything”

Amid the universe of limitless energy, intelligence, and possibilities, our aim, she says, should be one of total clarity and connection around that energetic source. Patel adds that the more we consciously engage with the life energy within ourselves, the more the greater force of life will step in to help us. Moments of flow she says will then begin to magnify and multiply.

Filled with Vedic and other wisdom from Indian spiritual traditions, the book explores the notion of mind and energy as comprised of two sides of the same coin. It’s here where Patel believes that when we are effectively managing your mind, your energy levels skyrocket. 

“When your energy levels are high, your mental performance — including thoughts, emotions, awareness, and outlook — naturally increases. Our mind shifts from one of resistance and struggle to one of acceptance, gratitude and strength.”

For me, I find importance in bringing the best version of my mental, physical, emotional, physical, spiritual, and financial self to the table every day. It’s never been about the proverbial “grind” — working harder, grunting, sleepless, poor dietary habits. Rather, I seek to flow and merge daily with the energetic “Tao” or “God Force” that dictates our state of being. 

Offering a distillation of what you might learn from Eastern philosophy and tradition, Patel invests a good portion of her book on spiritual practices like breathing and meditation — tools she says help one overcome the unconscious mental resistance and struggle that makes everything harder than it needs to be. 

Says Patel: 

“If you want a life that’s beyond what you’re living right now, then you’re going to have to do things you’ve never done before. That means being willing to be a beginner, to try something new and approach it, with an open mind. I say this to you as a fellow traveler in the journey of life and as a teacher who has personally seen hundreds of thousands of lives transformed as a result of these ancient technologies. , the wisdom and techniques in this book.” 

I was personally reminded from this book how fun it is to quote “play and find inspiration in one’s energy.”  There are two friends of mine that immediately come to mind with respect to this. They are motivational speaker Willie Jolley and quantum mindset coach Malvina Messler. In my personal experience, the two of them emanate a life energy that makes them a true force of nature. They both exude an undeniable larger than life quality; a magnetism,  effervescence, a juice that continues to propel them to unthinkable levels of success. 

They are what I call “plugged in,” which leads me to a brief story. As many of you know, I am a coffeehouse fanatic who happens to love not only a good dirty chai, but the chatter and community vibe of what these “third place” communities are all about. One of the things I often notice though among many patrons that frequent these places is that after they order their coffee, they immediately start trying to locate a seat near an electrical outlet. When a place happens to be crowded and all of the plugs are taken, many of them display this look of doom or panic around the realization that they are going to be without the necessary battery power for their mobile phone or laptop to function. 

One day it occurred to me that many of us are just like the mobile devices and laptop computers we carry with us —- out of juice. We allow our vital energy batteries to become drained by people, places, and mindsets — akin to having too many mobile device apps sucking away our charge. 

Patel in her book talks in her book about how the pursuit of our aims and desires require an incredible amount of fuel. She believes that a depleted mind and body has little room to expand and allow something new to come in. Says Patel: 

“The one thing I’ve observed over the past 30 years in my work is that most people spend the majority of their lives living in a state of personal energy crisis. They are stuck in permanent survival mode with barely enough fuel to make it through the day. That’s like hoping your smartphone will last for another eight hours when your battery is at 10 percent and there’s no charger in site”

She continues: 

“Your energy levels have a profound impact on how you think, feel and act. — How you move through the world and experience life. If you are alive and vibrant, then your life, relationships, your business will be dynamic, radiant, and exciting. Where you are not thriving in life, there is a lack of energy.” 

In reading her book, I was particularly struck by her point on how suspending our beliefs is vital for those of us seeking a more expansive mindset. She says that when we are “operating from a belief system, we continually minimize who we are.” We reduce our identity and our capacity to something smaller than it really is when who we are is actually unlimited. 

The elixir she says is to step outside of your conditioned mind by setting your sights higher than you can go. Unlocking one’s infinite potential, says Patel, is “not about self-improvement or self-help. It’s about self-awareness.” 

She adds: 

“The problem is that we have been conditioned to experience life in a purely material way. We barely stop to recognize feelings and emotions, let alone the field of energy and consciousness underlying all of life that scientists and sages around the world have spoken of for thousands of years. We have not been trained to turn within.”

Ultimately, says Patel, our work is not about self-improvement or self-help but rather self-realization. 

“The whole concept of self-help suggests that there is something to fix, something is wrong about the way we are. We were born whole, powerful, connected, joyful, vibrant, and creative — we need to re-discover this in ourselves.” 

Key Takeaway: “Harness the energy within us so that we can release what holds us back from the sweet honey nectar of life.”

And so it is……

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Diamond-Michael Scott, Global Book Ambassador, Great Books, Great Minds —“Igniting a New World of Community, Connection, and Belonging, One Book at a Time”