Looking for a breath of fresh air in your life? Yeah… I know, who isn’t? Even if you’ve perched yourself atop a mountain to feel gentle, clean, cool breezes it doesn’t mean that the toxicity of everyday life is gone. That’s because many of the harmful elements we experience come from other people. Negative attitudes pollute the air that we breath making it difficult to emotionally navigate through personal and vocational relationships. But why? It has everything to do with energy and who, what and where we choose to put ourselves. Once you understand how energy can work in favor of (or against) better livelihood, taking the proactive steps towards positivity will become second nature. Clear the negativity!
It’s All About Energy
The human body is made up of cells, 50 trillion in fact. Within each cell there are 1.4 volts of energy. In total, you, me and everyone else is a livewire of 700 trillion volts of quantum and metaphysical energies that can pack a punch. Each person carries one’s own frequency and vibration which becomes evident in the presence of other people. Ever enter a room and immediately feel attracted to a person before you even utter a word or the opposite, be repelled by someone before you ever meet? It has a lot to do with personal energy and intuition.
Where Science and Philosophy Meet
Delving into the details of how energy is made best defines, in laymen’s terms, quantum physics; the specifics of atoms and how their makeup ebbs, flows or fights with other quanta and energy waves. The study of metaphysics hones the subject of human existence merging an individual’s life path, free will, time, space and how energy affects each aspect. Together, quantum physics and metaphysics co-create how we interrelate to others through consciousness. And even the subconscious is part of our consciousness. If all this physics’ chatter flies over your head, the following helps drill it down.
How Personal Toxicity Runs Deep
Let’s go back to the fact that each of us is made of trillions of cells. Each cell has its own memory. A physical example of this is known as muscle memory. If you’ve ever had an injury or stopped doing an exercise program for some time and then went back to the sport or routine that you took a break from, the time off can prove to be of benefit. The muscles readily remember what was once practiced often and pick up where they left off easily.
When applying this premise to a negative experience from the past, say a traumatic event, our cell memory will be much more magnified. I will draw on a personal experience to explain this phenomenon.
Trauma Remains at the Cellular Level
After coming home from visiting my mother in the hospital after she underwent an angioplasty procedure, as you can imagine, I was physically and emotionally worn. As I moved up the exterior stairway to get to my front door of the apartment, I heard something behind me. As I turned around, staring inches away at me was the barrel of a Colt 45. Holding the gun was a young man, directing me to hand over my keys and briefcase. He then ordered me to turn my back to him and lay down on the concrete and count to 50, slowly. I prayed that sexual assault wasn’t part of his plan. I counted to 50. Five times. And then once more. I heard the quick plops of his shoes scale down the stairs and onto the adjoining driveway. A car door opened and shut. And then the squeal of burning rubber turning onto the main road.
Though the incident happened many years ago, it remains within me at the cellular level because it’s instinctual. How do I know this? My mind remembers it well. And when I find myself in a confined space with anyone who resembles that person who held me at gunpoint, my fight-or-flight response goes into high gear. This is how trauma from the past can remain in the present.
Now, let’s examine how our personal light is affected by darkness. Some call them energy vampires.
Identifying Energy Vampires
If you’ve never heard of the term energy vampire, chances are you know some (hopefully you’re not one of them). These characters may not have fangs for teeth nor live by night and sleep by day, but they are adept at sucking the emotional, physical and spiritual life out of you. More than needy people, energy vampires believe the world revolves around them. Subsequently, the people in their relationship sphere revolve around them as well.
Most of us have a friend or two who are energy vampires. Unfortunately, we may not recognize them as such initially but their incessant, obsessive need for our attention creeps up over time.
How Energy Vampires Diminish Our Light
Allowing optimism to take the lead in your life will help dissuade the harmful powers of an energy vampire. But once you’ve been exposed to the onslaught of darkness shared by a soul-sucking friend-in-sheep’s-clothing, it’s hard to shake it off. Because negative thought, selfishness and toxic life practices do hit us at the cellular level. Without the necessary emotional tools and self-actualization methods to keep our distance and provide ample energy vampire protection, our very being succumbs to the toxicity. Not only do energy vampires drain us of mental and physical strength – they can break our spirit. For those committed to drug or alcohol addiction recovery, energy vampires can put sobriety at risk.
Signs of an Energy Vampire
- Disrespects, ignores or unaware of your personal space
- Overly needy of your time
- Uber-critical of you and others
- Won’t own their behavior, blames others
- Narcissist
- Often have a personality disorder
Now that you’re better able to call out who in your life is bringing you down, here are some ways to keep your inner light aglow and support energy vampire protection, physically and emotionally.
Clear the Negativity and Empower Your Life
Short of planting your head in the sand and ignoring the universe, you will be subject to encounters by energy vampires and more than likely, daily. Good news is there are ways to combat the negative effects from these experiences and rise above. Consider these helpful tips to ensure healthy outcomes.
Top 10 Tips to Handle Negative People and Avoid Behavioral Triggers
One of the fundamental life practices that many of us forget to put into play is our ability to set limits for people. What I mean by setting limits is in reminding others about what we’re comfortable with taking in and accepting, and what we consider as inappropriate or too much. These limits can include physical proximity, verbal cues (tone or language expressed) and time allotted for someone or a situation.
In addition to people being energy vampires, things can also offset the balance of our vitality by compromising wellbeing: gaming, mobile devices.
Top 10 Tips and Tools to Maintain Positive Energy
- Be selective about where you go and who you spend time with.
- Define your safe space and honor it.
- Avoid unhealthy situations whenever possible.
- When facing an energy vampire, do it with the support of others.
- Take the higher road and keep clear of negative confrontation.
- Practice mindfulness (exercise, yoga, recreational reading, visualization).
- Counteract negativity by staying neutral – just listen instead of engaging in response.
- Change to non-stressful topics of conversation.
- Assess and reassess relationships often.
- When all else fails, let these people go.
For additional practices that support healthy mind, body and spirit and keep addiction recovery in check, refer to holistic ideologies and consider an ongoing outpatient therapy program.
