At the time I wrote the first edition of this book I felt certain I had found the philosopher''s stone. "It''s not so bad if dreams do not come true. But it''s terrible if one doesn''t even try to make them come true." I''d had an engineer''s degree and my own company, yet I was a man seriously ill from burnout. I came close to death several times. For a short period of time I was living on the street. I became an energy teacher and healer, a musician, the founder of the Vesseling Energy School, and an energy consultant much in demand by the business and art world. What I have experienced was the real-life story of phoenix rising from the ashes. Wikipedia: "In Greek mythology, a phoenix (Ancient Greek φοίνιξ phóinīx) is a long-lived bird that is cyclically regenerated or reborn. Associated with the sun, a phoenix obtains new life by arising from the ashes of its predecessor. ...In his study of the phoenix, R. van der Broek summarizes, that, in the historical record, the phoenix could symbolize renewal in general..." In 2002 I had hit rock bottom, only to rise from my ashes into a normal life again. Based on this experience I instituted the course system of Vesseling teaching, which has inspired and given (more) strength to thousands of people. I am convinced that I am holding the key to my happiness in my own hands, and that everyone is capable of finding their own key. My journey and my quests have taken me to some of the most remote places on this earth, brought me together with some unusual people, led me to altitudes of over 4,000 meters when travelling in South America – until I eventually realized that, after all, none of these travels could actually help me: only I could help myself! So, during the last ten years (now being 2013) an Energy, Meditation and Vision School was created from this process, a school that offers people a tool towards helping themselves by using the power of Now, through which life-enriching visions can be nurtured.
