Rain-prepped

The atmosphere is rain-prepped outside and while I ponder a decision I need to make, I get an urge to read an old treasured book. I open a not-so-random random page and as it begins to rain lightly I start to read:

Will shook his head. "He really had you hooked."
The rain outside is getting excited.
"What do you mean?"
"You should have seen your energy field. It was flowing almost totally into his."
The rains are getting heavier
"I don't understand."
"Think back to Sarah's argument with the scientist at Vinciente....If you had witnessed one of them winning, convincing the other that he was correct, then you would have seen the loser's energy flowing into the winner's, leaving the loser feeling drained and weak and somewhat confused- the way the girl in the Peruvian family appeared and the way," he smiled, "that you look now."
"You saw that happening to me?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied. "And it was extremely difficult for you to stop his control of you and to pull yourself away. I thought for a minute you weren't going to do it."
"Jesus," I said. "That guy must really be evil."
"Not really," he said. "He's probably only half aware of what he's doing. He thinks he's right to control the situation, and no doubt he learned a long time ago that he could control successfully by following a certain strategy.
He first pretends to be your friend, (Here the rains were getting stronger) then he finds something wrong with what you're doing, (Rain pours heavier) in your case that you were in danger. In effect, he subtly undermines your confidence in your own path until you begin to identify with him. As soon as that happens, he has you."
...And here there was a crescendo- Bravo! As the truth (really?) of those confusing moments dawned on me. I can't say that I have made my decision but I sure am feeling lighter. Much much lighter as if these words of wisdom especially accompanied by the passionate downpour of the skies have taken some unknown weight off of me :-) And now I am smiling like an idiot feeling truly connected humbly knowing that the Universe is by my side...
You may read on- this book has some very interesting observations that may just provide you some answers you may be looking for?

...
We were silent for a few minutes, then Wil asked: "Do you understand what I said about Jensen not realizing what he was doing? He's no different from most people. He just does what makes him feel the strongest."
"No, I don't think I understand."
Wil looked thoughtful. "All this is still unconscious in most people. All we know is that we feel weak and when we control others we feel better. What we don't realize is that this sense of feeling better costs the other person. It is their energy that we have stolen. Most people go through their lives in a constant hunt for someone else's energy."
He looked at me with a twinkle in his eye. "Although occasionally it works differently. We meet someone who at least for a little while will voluntarily send us their energy."
"What are you getting at?"
"Think back to when you and Marjorie were eating together at the restaurant in town and I walked in."
"Okay."
"I don't know what you two were talking about but obviously her energy was pouring into you. When I walked in, I could see it clearly. Tell me how did you feel during that time?"
"I felt good," I said. "In fact, the experiences and concepts I was relating seemed crystal clear to me. I could express myself easily. But what does that mean?"
He smiled. "Occasionally, another person will voluntarily want us to define their situation for them, giving us their energy outright, the way Marjorie did with you. It makes us feel empowered, but you'll see that this gift doesn't usually last. Most people- Marjorie included- aren't strong enough to keep giving energy. That's why most relationships eventually turn into power struggles. Humans link up energy and then fight over who is going to control it. And the loser always pays the price."
...
"You saw that when someone is dominating you psychically, they actually take your mind away. It was not as if you lost some intellectual debate with Jensen. You didn't have the energy or mental clarity to debate with. All your mental power was going to Jensen. Unfortunately this kind of psychic violence happens all the time throughout human culture, often by otherwise well-meaning people."
I just nodded. Wil had summarized my experience exactly.
...
Yet, once humans understand their struggle, the insight continued, we would immediately begin to transcend this conflict. We would begin to break free from the competition over mere human energy...because we would finally be able to receive our energy from another source.
I looked at Wil. "What's the other source?" I asked.
He smiled, but said nothing.

And here ends the chapter "The Struggle for Power"; a glimpse from The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield. A recommended read. No, A HIGHLY recommended read.