You might be thinking, “why are you telling us a story from 2013?” or “What do you mean you helped a man keep his life?” Well, sit back, relax and read on. This event happened when I was 15 years old and knew nothing about energy or spirituality. Even though I liked to think that kindness and compassion could change things for the better, I hadn’t seen that with my own eyes until that day.
As a journalist, what I love the most about my job is interviewing people and learning more about their lives in different settings. My friends look up to me as someone dependable, open, and willing to help or to give them a piece of advice. Therefore, I always strive to make people comfortable around me without disrupting my boundaries. Interactions are very important to me, and it’s fascinating to meet people from all walks of life. But the encounter I had nine years ago brought some insights about the mark I could leave in the world.
In 2013, I met a few virtual friends at my favorite park in São Paulo: Ibirapuera Park. We were all big fans of Emblem3, an American rap-rock band that originated in 2007 and rose to fame during the X Factor in 2012. Wesley Stromberg, Keaton Stromberg, and Drew Chadwick started a movement called Team Inspire to encourage fans to follow their passions, find their purpose, and make their dreams a reality. They wanted to show how powerful inspiration really is. So, as a community, we decided to meet on Saturdays with posters that read “Abraços Grátis” (“Free hugs”) at the park and hug those walking by.
On a very hot Saturday afternoon, a friend and I spotted a middle-aged man sitting on the curb with a very pained expression. He seemed to be spacing out as his eyes wouldn’t focus anywhere, his posture was hunched, and the energy surrounding him was very heavy. We approached with caution because you never know what can happen, right? But soon, we started a conversation with him. “Hey! We are here at the park to hug people for free. You look like you need a hug,” I said brightly. After looking up at us, the man instantly replied, “I do need a hug.” As soon as I hugged him, he started crying incessantly. Right after, my friend asked, “Do you mind telling us what happened?” and that’s when my jaw dropped.
He thanked us time and time again, confusing us a little bit. Hugging people was something nice, but maybe we took its importance for granted. We had so many fleeting encounters with people that day that we didn’t comprehend why this man was almost on his knees thanking us. “You know, I was contemplating hard about killing myself tonight, but after the kindness you’ve shown me, I’m definitely not doing that anymore,” said the still teary-eyed man. We felt so touched by that and couldn’t believe we had made such an impression on him. However, we left the park that day feeling so powerful and happy to have made a difference in people’s lives. After all, it really didn’t cost us anything; even if it did, it wouldn’t have mattered. We saved a man that day, and that’s why kindness goes a long way.
So what does this have to do with energy and spirituality? Everything, because all things, including us, are made out of energy. A hug is nothing more than an exchange of energy. If done with love and from the purity of your heart, it can be like a security blanket enveloping you, making you feel safe and cared for. But it can also suck all of your energy if the other party is at a lower vibration. That man didn’t drain our energy because we were unknowingly at such a high vibration that day that it didn’t affect us. Our sole mission was to make his day better, which we more than achieved.
I have always noticed that all the love I didn’t receive in childhood would come in waves with different people. However, friends rarely stayed long enough for me to actually feel important or loved by them. I never wished for anyone to feel as lonely and abandoned as I had felt earlier in my life, so I took the position of constantly giving all of myself without asking for anything in return. Although it’s good to do things that way, there must be a limit. It becomes a problem when you give so much of your love to others that you don’t even have any for yourself. So, in constantly giving the love I wished I had received, I wasn’t as open to receiving that love back.
In a course I took a few weeks ago, I learned that spirituality is very similar to Psychology, and Physics is also a big part of it. Mandy Morris and her husband, Oliver, were my mentors for three days. To them, a big portion of manifestation and life itself is about vibration. We manifest what we attract, and we need to dive deep into trauma healing to live a more carefree life. The metaphor they used was a tree with many fruit and roots carrying a lot of past traumas. If we tend to the root’s needs, we can release limiting beliefs, finally receiving what we desperately want.
That man at the park probably felt he wasn’t worthy or a burden to his loved ones. So, he could have concluded that the world was better off without him. However, my friend and I showed him the complete opposite was true. I have no way of knowing where that man is today, but I hope he is living his best life because everyone deserves to feel loved and respected. So, the next time you see someone going through a hard time, reach out your hand because you never know how much you can be of help by just being there for others.