Strange Classrooms – Energy Vampires

Lessons I have learned, but do not always practice, in a couple of my Strange Classrooms.
by THE MEXICAN HORSE THIEF


One was about setting boundaries, the purpose of having boundaries is to protect and take care of ourselves. I had to hear about boundaries, and start learning the concept before I could even realize that I didn’t have any. I very seldom said, “No” to a request, even when I did not really want to do whatever it was they wanted. This caused resentment and I had to go to another classroom to deal with that!

Energy Vampires drain your spirit by depleting your positive energy, just like real vampires slurp blood. Energy Vampires – such as drama queens – leave you feeling drained and listless. The Energy Vampire’s negative influences have consumed your positive energy. The only way to protect yourself is to set up boundaries, and be forceful about how far you are willing to let people push before you push back.
Some of, nay, most of these Energy Vampires are well disguised as, good friend, loving spouse or helpful business partner. They come in various forms, just like shape changing Vampires,  loud and aggressive, soft-spoken and shy, charming and seductive, pushy and overbearing. Energy vampires have energy leaks that they need to fill. It’s up to you to stop energy vampires from draining your positive energy.

They tend to find energetic, intelligent people and then attach themselves like a limpet mine. Then slowly their true nature surfaces and the following happens:


They intrude in every facet of your life, , ignoring boundaries, even if you have some, and privacy Energy vampires never think of you.

They make a big deal out of nothing. Energy Vampires are often called “drama queens” because they can easily turn a flat tyre into a Shakespearean tragedy. Negative energy spreads from everyday events.

They are unrelentingly negative. Energy Vampires drain your positive energy by encouraging you to be negative, too.

They blame everyone else for their problems, just like alcoholics, even if they are not drinkers.


So back to the boundaries lessons. They are useless if you do not have the courage to enforce them. I have found the only way to deal with the more persistent Energy Vampires is to cut them out of my life completely, by what ever means it takes.
I do not have a huge circle of friends, many acquaintances but few friends. Most of those friends have been my friends for more than 15 years and are worth more than their weight in gold. My simple philosophy is based on this thought:

“If one has one clean hand and one dirty hand, rubbing them together does not produce two clean hands.”