FROM CHAPTER ONE: THE AGENT OF CHANGE

… At approximately ten-thirty on the morning of January tenth, I became particularly uneasy about my son’s plans for the day. [My son] Brandon and his friends intended to embark on a very difficult hike to the summit of the McDowell Mountains. At the time, I sensed that something was going to go very wrong during the hike, even feeling that circumstances could possibly conspire to end Brandon’s life. Since my normal tendency was to worry, I dismissed my feelings as those of an anxious parent. Because of my overwhelming sense of apprehension, though, I actually went to the point of asking Brandon to stay home, noting somewhat lamely that it was far too windy for such an expedition. In response, my son looked me and said, “We’re going, Dad,” as if to convey the message “stop worrying.” But also, in retrospect, it had at least one other meaning: “We’re going” not only means that a worry-wart father is going to fail in deterring a high-energy teenager, but that the universe is moving toward what is destined to be, and no one is going to stop it. [My wife] Susie was also concerned, primarily because of the magnitude of the hike, but her worry was minimal in comparison to mine. At the time, I did not share the full scope of my misgivings with my wife.

I have experienced intuitive feelings on many occasions, yet it has been rare for me to trust them. It’s as if my rational mind stifles my inner guidance and I allow reason to override intuition. Anxiety can also take on the voice of intuition and, if one becomes obsessed with every omen or hunch, his or her unconscious mind will exploit the situation in o...