Abraham Hicks frequently talks about "the vortex" — but have you ever wondered what it actually is? I used to think it was some strange spinning thing holding my hopes and dreams in another dimension, and if I just vibed hard enough, stuff would plop out of it. But if you follow the idea closely, you'll see that the vortex is just you. It's you living your life. I did a deep dive on this — what the vortex actually is, why your emotions matter, and why this isn't some mystical concept but a real mechanism you're already using every day. Full essay is on my Substack and the video is coming soon.

I've been sitting with the Abraham Hicks vortex teaching for a long time. And I love it. But the standard explanation never quite worked for me — and I think I finally understand why. Here's the thing nobody is saying: The vortex isn't out there somewhere waiting to deliver your desires. The vortex is you. You are an information processing system — taking in, filtering, and putting back out — constantly, 24/7, whether you're thinking about it or not. And that changes everything about how you actually work with it. I'm dropping a full video this week that unpacks the whole thing — the science, the theology, the mechanics of how this actually works in your life. And I'll be posting the full essay on Substack for those who want to go deeper. Stay tuned. This one's been a long time coming. 🌱

I think I mentioned that I was going to rewrite Chapter 1? I was not satisfied with it. Of course, it is good to forge ahead and not keep rewriting chapters, however, in this case I really wanted to do that because I'm starting the book in a completely different direction so if I didn't write this I think I'd get confused. This isn't very long. It's actually meant to be more like a prologue than a chapter, but readers tend to skip prologues so it's better to label it Chapter 1. Here is Chapter 1 of my memoir, "Lydia's Lantern." It's actually a prologue in disguise. I've been told that readers often skip the prologue. But they need to read this to understand the rest of the book. I don't think it matters much whether you call this Chapter 1 or a prologue. After this, I will not be posting any more chapters until I get to the final chapter. I think I might post that one in this group. So here it is: The Cat Who Came Back Through the Clouds I never thought I’d get Lydia back. Not after five years. Not when she had never been mine to begin with. She was my former housemate’s sister’s cat, a relationship twice removed, the kind that should not leave a mark. When I bade goodbye to Lydia the last time I visited her, it was an ordinary day in Colorado, the air thin, the light bright, the mountains quietly watching. As I struggled with my hiking boots, Lydia sat in the foyer, her unseeing, milky-blue eyes turned towards me. “Lydia,” I said, speaking loud and clear so that, even with her hearing impairment, she might register my voice. “I’m sorry I won’t be able to come see you anymore. I’m leaving for California.” The puzzled expression never left her face. Her pink nose sniffled. I reached over and stroked her, blinking back tears. She pressed her head against my open palm. I straightened myself, and with a final glance back, I closed the door, stepped outside, and made a wish. Not on a star, but on the wind that caressed my face, then let the wish go like a leaf on a stream, one small thought among the countless that crossed my mind as I prepared for my trip.

The Wordsmith Academy Course suggested posting the outline in the group. As required, I have a short summary for each chapter, and the lesson learned for each one. After completing the entire outline, I realize that the Chapter 1 I wrote needs to be revised. But that's okay. I may post the revision here, but I will not post any more of the book chapters. Maybe when I get to the last chapter. Anyway, here is the outline: Working Outline — Lydia’s Lantern Chapter 1 — The Cat Who Returned Through the Clouds Chapter Summary: The narrator recalls making a quiet, almost accidental wish during a final farewell in Colorado—without belief, ceremony, or expectation. Years later, long after the wish has been forgotten, it unexpectedly returns, setting the story in motion. Lesson Learned: Sometimes we ask for things without understanding what they will require of us. Chapter 2 — Unmoored Chapter Summary: The narrator describes a period of profound dislocation: leaving a hard-won life in Japan for a relationship that quickly collapses, followed by the illness and death of her beloved cat, Saki. With both a partner and an animal companion gone, she finds herself emotionally and practically unanchored. Lesson Learned: Loss reveals how much our sense of stability depends on the relationships we assume will last. Chapter 3 — The First Choosing Chapter Summary: While living in temporary housing after her losses, the narrator encounters Lydia, a blind, neglected-looking cat who belongs to someone else. Without intention or planning, Lydia chooses her—offering comfort at a moment of emptiness and initiating a bond neither of them was seeking. Lesson Learned: Love often begins not with intention, but with recognition. Chapter 4 — Learning Lydia Chapter Summary: As the narrator spends time with Lydia in Boulder, she learns how Lydia navigates the world without sight and how living with her requires patience, attention, and adaptation. Through shared routines, the narrator begins to change her pace and way of seeing.

Are you all familiar with Juliet Cleary? She says that you don't manifest, you have to DECIDE! This made me think of what @Yvette Muhammad always declares.