So, every day I’ll try to post, “What’s wrong with the wife today?” entries. The goal of this exercise is to track the wife’s moods from day-to-day. Generally there is always something bothering her and by tracking her mood swings, I aim to prove that I’m not crazy, but slowly going mad as a result of these swings.

So for the inaugural entry, I was just informed by my wife that, “things aren’t so good at work”. This usually means that her boss is “giving her grief”. It tells me that she is unhappy and despite my advise that look on the brighter side, that she is going on vacation next week. She will not look at it that way. Such are the ways of an energy vampire.

They lurk in our businesses, our families, and our social organizations. They are real. They are everywhere. And they will suck the life out of you if you let them. They’re the Energy Vampires.

If you’re like most people, it has happened to you. You start talking to someone and, before you know it, they’ve drained the energy and excitement right out of you. You look for fang marks on your neck, but then you realize Energy Vampires don’t have fangs — they have other means to suck your energy.

[...]

In other situations, the words may be less harsh, but the result ends up being the same. Once an Energy Vampire starts sucking it is difficult to break free. Don’t let this happen. Instead be prepared to neutralize an Energy Vampire from the beginning. You don’t need a stake or garlic.

(Action Steps)

Look in the mirror. Sometimes we are the Vampires. If we pay attention to our thoughts and words we can eliminate the vampire in us. Are you being negative or positive?

Run. Run as far and as fast as you can. Really fast. This sometimes is the best technique if you are not close with the EV. You only have so much energy, and in today’s world you need to keep all you have.

(Jon Gordon, “Energy Addict”; ch. 41)

Have you ever been around someone for a while and when you leave their presence you feel drained, tired, and depressed? I know I have! I call these personalities energy vampires. When you are with them you feel like the life is being pulled from you.

Like wise, I know many people that when you come in contact with them they can literally catapult you to a happier place just by being in their energy field.

Are you an energy giver or energy vampire?

What do you bring to the relationships that you encounter daily?

It is as simple as the look on your face, the way you carry yourself and the tone in which you speak. Energy givers are always smiling, making eye contact and taking the moment to give a kind word of encouragement.

Another thing to think about is how are you at work and how are you at home? Making sure that both places are getting the best of you is what true giving is about.

Have you noticed that after you’ve been around a particular individual you feel tired, cranky, or maybe a little depressed? You may be dealing with an emotional energy vampire. And you thought vampires didn’t really exist. What is an emotional vampire? Here’s two definitions I found online from something called an urban dictionary:

Emotional Vampire:

1) A person who possesses the ability to suck all of the positive energy out of someone. They do this through negative comments, or by mere presence alone.

When we were at the wedding the groom’s side of the family did not smile, dance or talk to us. They were such Emotional Vampires, they sucked all the fun right out of the party.

2) One who feeds upon the emotions of others to bolster their self-esteem and to gain attention.

An emotional vampire is often a drama queen and loves to play the victim in their own life.

How do you spot energy vampires? Watch this video.

My home is where I recharge my energy. It’s my sanctuary, so I’m very particular on who I invite into my home. Unfortunately, there are some in-laws that stop by for a visit and don’t seem to know when to go home. The good news is it doesn’t happen that often. Hubby and I have decided that we need to come up with a plan to get them to leave at a decent time. Something other than, “Get out! I’m tired of you.”

Article – How To Save Emotional Energy
http://www.ehow.com/how_4998456_save-emotional-energy.html

Article – How Energy Vampires Drain Your Spirit: 11 Ways to Protect Yourself From Negative Influences
http://psychology.suite101.com/article.cfm/stop_energy_vampires

I had to hit a few stores this morning for some errands…in one store I hadn’t been in for awhile but know several of the people they were all like, wow you’ve lost weight……….I’m like really….and they are like yeah it shows………..cool….

My kiddies gave me a gift card to Ace so I picked up a couple power strips today….they will go where my large grouping of plugs are, such as TV, cable box, DVD, etc and I can turn them all off at night or when I’m not home to keep the energy vampire from charging me when I am not using it………..another one will be in the kitchen for appliances to be turned off when not in use……….

I also used a Walgreens gift card I had and bought a small food processor that I can use to make salsa from my garden (tomato, hot pepper, onion) and chop up or blend some of the healthy items my Sister gave me like hemp seeds, goji berries, etc……….

Energy Vampires are electronics plugged into your outlets that are constantly draining electricity. For instance, If you leave your cell phone charger plugged in when not in use…it is using electricity. Appliances that are not in use…tea makers, coffee pots, blenders, toasters etc. all drain some energy when not in use.  Some items such as your microwave (that is used frequently) or your bedroom alarm clock isn’t feasible to unplug but other items you can get in the habit of unplugging while you are out of the house or not using that item.

Extreme Energy Saving:
One of the things that we are considering doing is moving all of our unnecessary outlets onto a single switch. Installing that switch by the main entry door so that when we leave the house we turn off all of our outlets that we don’t want in use while we are gone. This would turn off all of our computers, our toaster, coffee pot, cell phone and camera chargers, MP3, MP4 and Ipod chargers, TV/VCR/DVD players, electric/ceiling fans, baby monitor, noise machine, automatic night lights etc. But it would not turn off our Freezer, Water Heater or Refrigerator.
I know this may seen like an extreme move but not unfeasible and I don’t think its particularly extreme given the economical climate that we are currently living in. Especially considering that our family has been paying $40.00-$60.00 more a month in “fuel surcharges” on our electric bill to Volunteer Electric Cooperative since gasoline went to over $4.00 a gallon during the Bush administration…we are STILL paying those fuel surcharges to this day even though gas has gone down.

So for a weekend project that isn’t particularly expensive or unreasonable to do (if you have electrical know how) and that would potentially save us a smallish fortune over the course of the year…I’d say its worth it. In the mean time, We have power strips that certain appliances and electronics are plugged into…we unplug the strip when not in use as I find it is more convenient that going around the house unplugging all the energy vampires for a family of 8. Each of our children have a strip in their room and I can unplug each child’s strip rather than unplugging 3 cell chargers, 4 MP3 or equivalent of, their laptops etc. If you are single or a couple it’d probably be easier to unplug your items after you use them. But in a large family where there is 1 of me and 7 of them…I find the power strip method easier….at least until we get the “Vampire” switch installed.

Recipe for a Powerful You

Ingredients:

• You
• Your responsibility for yourself and your happiness
• Couple globs perseverance

Directions:

The simple version of my directions for taking your power back are: Start taking responsibility for making your own self be happy, and stop expecting other people to make you feel good!

I figure I’d give a little more information that that, though. Starting with my own embarrassing past (um, and sometimes present).

I have noticed that over the years I put lots of pressure on whomever my significant other of the moment is to make me feel good: pretty, sexy, loved, worthy, the best girlfriend of all time, prettier than that chick at the weenie roast, etc. That’s why I’m going to stick with this example of using someone you’re romantically involved with to get good feelings, though we can try to get this from many, many other people, too.

I remember very clearly being in my late teens and early twenties completely doubting myself, my looks, my body, my beauty, and searching relentlessly for affirmation from whatever guy I was dating at the time.  If the answer or result wasn’t good enough for me, I’d start fights, cry, and overall try to manipulate the situation and other person to try to get what I wanted.

I really thought I had knocked that out of my system, what with the multiple years of therapy, a stint being life-coached, the dozens of self-help books I’ve read, and the huge amount of peanut butter I’ve consumed straight from the jar.

However, I was wrong.  I realized that as recently as last week I tried to manipulate my sweetheart of two and a half  years, who is currently in another state for work, by altering my mood in order to get him to say a certain something to me that would make me feel happy. I don’t know what that certain something was, because honestly, there’s not really much he could do to make me feel good. Because that’s my job.  And it’s your job, too.  To make me feel good.  No, wait, that’s not right.  It’s your job to make you feel good.

The day after this exchange with my boyfriend, I was lucky enough to be talking to a fellow life coach, and I used her fabulous coaching skills to my advantage and had her help me pick through the situation.

She accused me of being a vampire.

No, not that kind of vampire, an energy vampire.

I stole the info below directly from Psychology Suite 101, so go check it out if you want even more info on energy vampires:

How Energy Vampires Drain Your Spirit

Energy vampires drain positive energy in many ways, such as:

• Intruding on your life, ignoring boundaries and privacy (energy vampires don’t think of you).
• Making big deals out of nothing. Energy vampires are often called “drama queens” because they can easily turn a broken nail into a Shakespearean tragedy. Negative energy spreads from everyday events.
• Complaining constantly about their partners, jobs, children, bad luck, and illnesses. Energy vampires like to vent.
• Criticizing your hair, appearance, job, children, partner, friends, and pets (energy vampires aren’t positive).
• Not taking “no” for an answer. Energy vampires don’t consider your needs.
• Being unrelentingly negative. Their negative energy is relentless, and energy vampires drain your positive energy by encouraging you to be negative, too.
• Blaming everyone else for their problems (energy vampires don’t take responsibility).

Okay, I’m not quite that bad, in fact, I think I am very aware of taking responsibility for my problems and trying to keep a positive energy flow with people, but what she said still rang true to me.  I was trying to manipulate someone else’s energy to get something for myself. That’s when my coaching buddy let me in on something: I was giving my power away.

Only you have the power to make yourself happy.  I’m not saying other people can’t also add to your happiness, but you really hold the key.  If something in your life doesn’t go your way, only you have the power to show yourself the silver lining.

I think it’s wonderful to have supportive and loving friends and family.  But when we start relying on them for our good feelings, and if we continue to do so, we’re giving the power of our own happiness away.  If your boyfriend or mom or sister says something that doesn’t sit right with you, go figure out what’s not sitting right and turn the situation around for yourself.

This is your life, people! It is not easy to take back your power, especially if you live with a whole bunch of energy vampires. They don’t want you to be happy, even if they say they do.  How many times has someone done something that makes you decidedly unhappy who says, “I’m just doing this for you, so you’ll be happy”?

However, no matter how difficult it may seem to get back your power, I promise you the paybacks are huge.  Even in the past week since I acknowledged that I was trying to suck my boyfriend’s energy to make myself feel better, I’ve noticed I take the time to envelop myself in my own positive energy and good vibes before we speak on the phone.  If there is something that normally makes my vampire alarm go off, I recenter myself and remind myself only I can make me truly happy and content, and it’s making a huge difference in my life!

Here are the steps I suggest taking:

1. Identify the people in your life from which you suck energy. Examples are people you try to get to praise you, give you words of love, compliments, sympathy, etc. Let me say again, it’s great to have a supportive web of friends and family, but there is a certain feeling of ickiness when you’re manipulating others to get something from them in order to make yourself feel better.

2. Start taking note of the exchanges where you’re creating or changing the energy in order to get something from another person to boost your own ego.

3. While you continue to note examples of you giving away your power, the power to feel good, to other people, start making a change.  Do this by creating lists daily of why you are wonderful, lovable, and worthy.  Picture yourself enveloped in a beautiful cloud, or a big, shimmery bubble, from which only love can enter and exit.  Protect yourself from other people’s words and attitudes; this only leads to unhappiness leaking into your life.

4. Make the shift, permanently.  Honor yourself and the power you have over your own feelings of self-worth.  If your dad doesn’t tell you you’re the best or if your boyfriend doesn’t tell you you’re beautiful, tell yourself. You’re the only one who has to know it or believe it, anyways. Do not stop making lists of how wonderful you are or keeping up your protective bubble any time in the foreseeable future.  You need to start taking care of you.

We have amazing power we aren’t even aware of.  Often from the time we’re young we’re taught to reach to others to feel better.  It doesn’t have to be that way.  In fact, when you’re filling yourself up with love and goodness, you can’t help but attract even more love into your life! Start taking back your power today!

Be Joyful!

Energy Vampires are electronics plugged into your outlets that are constantly draining electricity. For instance, If you leave your cell phone charger plugged in when not in use…it is using electricity. Appliances that are not in use…tea makers, coffee pots, blenders, toasters etc. all drain some energy when not in use. Some items such as your microwave (that is used frequently) or your bedroom alarm clock isn’t feasible to unplug but other items you can get in the habit of unplugging while you are out of the house or not using them.

Extreme Energy Saving:
One of the things that we are considering doing is moving all of our unnecessary outlets onto a single switch. Installing that switch by the main entry door so that when we leave the house we turn off all of our outlets that we don’t want in use while we are gone. This would turn off all of our computers, our toaster, coffee pot, cell phone and camera chargers, MP3, MP4 and Ipod chargers, TV/VCR/DVD players, electric/ceiling fans, baby monitor, noise machine, automatic night lights etc. But it would not turn off our Freezer, Water Heater or Refrigerator.
I know this may seen like an extreme move but not unfeasible and I don’t think its particularly extreme given the economical climate that we are currently living in. Especially considering that our family has been paying $40.00-$60.00 more a month in “fuel surcharges” on our electric bill to Volunteer Electric Cooperative since gasoline went to over $4.00 a gallon during the Bush administration…we are STILL paying those fuel surcharges to this day even though the price of gasoline has gone down.

So for a weekend project that isn’t particularly expensive or unreasonable to do (if you have electrical know how) and that would potentially save us a smallish fortune over the course of the year…I’d say its worth it. In the mean time, We have power strips that certain appliances and electronics are plugged into…we unplug the strip when not in use as I find it is more convenient than going around the house unplugging all the energy vampires for a family of 8. Each of our children have a strip in their room and I can unplug each child’s strip rather than unplugging 3 cell chargers, 4 MP3 player chargers or equivalent of, all their laptops etc.
If you are single or a couple it’d probably be easier to unplug your items after you use them. But in a large family where there is 1 of me and 7 of them…I find the power strip method easier….at least until we get the “Vampire” switch installed.

            Vampires can even be considered plants. H.G. Wells’s story, “The Flowering of the Strange Orchid,” considers that sometimes the botanical world takes on characteristics of vampires. In the story Wells tells of a explorer that is found dead in the jungle with a bulb of a plant laying next to him. The bulb is taken back to the laboratory where the scientist waits for the bulb to flower. When the bulb finally blossomed, it had tentacles that attacked the scientist and fed on his blood. This is one of the earliest examples of the vampire morphing outside the traditional characteristics of appearance and habits.

To learn more about vampires, vampire products, vampire jewelry, vampire books, and vampire movies, please visit: http://astore.amazon.com/vampirebooks09-20

            George Stetson of the American Anthropological Association had a different take on the vampire in his report in 1896. In his article, “The Animistic Vampire in New England,” he explains that the vampire can be alive or dead. He contends the soul of a sleeping man or a dead body can leave the body as a puff of smoke, a wisp of feathers, or a piece of blowing straw. The small object then can sneak through a key hole or under the door and torment and feed on their victim.  He also argues that the vampire belief in America came from Jamaica and Haiti where African superstitions are retold about demons attacking children and a ‘hoodooed’ person that will slowly wilt and die because of the touch of the vampire.   

To learn more about vampires, vampire products, vampire jewelry, vampire books, and vampire movies, please visit: http://astore.amazon.com/vampirebooks09-20

            “At Lucifer’s Portal,” a 1917 book of poems brought a new look at poetry and the dark denizens of the night, the vampire. Paul Bachtell, the poet, writes in his poem, “Like Unto a Vampire” the subtle ways of a woman who want her man back from the vampire who stole him. The poem is one that is very sketchy on structure, but shows that the romanticism of the vampire has gone from simple romantic thought to that of lust and sexual power. The woman in the poem has learned the vampires seductive power and in doing so now wants to practice those same ‘evil’ powers to regain the man she loves. The poem, written during World War I, may show that the author is comparing a missing soldier as the young man and the war that took him as the vampire.

To learn more about vampires, vampire products, vampire jewelry, vampire books, and vampire movies, please visit: http://astore.amazon.com/vampirebooks09-20

The works of Theophile Gauiter entitled, “Sprite, the Vampire, and Arria Marcella,” brought a more epic motive to the vampire in his 1907 publication. He chose a priest as the main character who is not only battling his own personal demons but is also battling a vampire. Bringing in the Catholic Church as the vampires enemy was not a new concept, but the perception of the priest and the ideologies of the Church helped the author give the vampire story a new twist by using the priest’s vast knowledge of evil and also the fight to overcome temptation. The priest against monster has been since revamped several times including books such as, “The Exorist.”

To learn more about vampires, vampire products, vampire jewelry, vampire books, and vampire movies, please visit: http://astore.amazon.com/vampirebooks09-20

            In known and forgotten realms of supernatural literature and belief there is no more horrible a demon than the one known as the vampire. His ravages to those who believe in such creatures are barbaric and sometimes horrific. Not only are the vampire’s methods brimmed with atrocities but the methods mortals use to rid the vampire from the earth are equally appalling. There is belief and fear of this monster of the night that exists even today. From the Baltic regions in Europe to the whispering arid wastelands of Middle Eastern countries the legend of the vampire is told and retold throughout the generations.

            Even civilizations of the past have cringed upon the mere mention of the vampire no matter what language it is spoken in. From the Babylonian Empire to the deep jungles of the Aztec civilization, vampires are said to haunt the rich or poor alike, the common factor, the blood that is held within their bodies. Most of the legends talk of demons that walk the wastelands or forests and are likely to feast on travelers from time to time. Other legends talk of a romantic vampire who seduces beautiful women only to have sex with them and to take their life by draining them of their life force.

For more information on Vampires, vampire products, vampire jewelry, vampire books, and vampire DVDS, please visit: http://astore.amazon.com/vampirebooks09-20

If you are in a job or social situation that requires a lot of social interaction, you probably realize that more chaos and moodiness is displayed on nights where there are full moons. You can hear stories from prison guards, policemen and nurses about how the normal get a little bit weird and the weird gets a little bit dangerous. Lunar is taken out of context and is considered a mood, as ‘loonies’ seem to come out during the full moon.

In vampires, the full moon is when the cravings, blood lust and real lust, come out. Vampires, who feed on either blood or the emotion of their victims, have more time yearning for the feast that some dread but are happy once their hunger is filled. The water in the body is an magnetic attraction to the mood and as the water shifts so does the chemical balances in the body and in the brain. The universal life energy is amplified by the light of the moon and emotional vampires, those who feed on life energy, are more apt to feed in the moon’s light than in other venues.

For more vampire information, vampire products, vampire books, and vampire movies visit: http://astore.amazon.com/vampirebooks09-20

A new vampire site has emerged on the web and each day it is getting better. As of April over 100 vampire books have been added to the site including the Twighlight series, Anita Blake, and Ann Rice. Plus there are other vampire series and books that are hard to find.

Not only does the site offer vampire books but you can also find vampire jewelry, vampire clothing, vampire gifts, and vampire movies. Everything about being a vampire and the vampire culture is represented at http://astore.amazon.com/vampirebooks09-20

Sergei Nkodimov, a noted paranormal expert, claims that energy vampires, a vampire that soaks in biological energy instead of blood, most often times do not realize that they are harming others. He contends that energy vampires do not act to be vindictive but acts through instinct alone. Just to be able to live well, akin to a heroin addict, an energy vampire must have the energy just to get through the day. By taking energy from others around them they reach a homeostasis in which they can go about their daily business.

Energy vampires can be very good people. They can feel apathy from the suffering of others. They can have love self-esteem and even give in to depression when they find that the majority of people do not to be around them. Energy vampires can be enthusiastic about good times and bad. When there is a high amount of energy at a sports event or even at a funeral, the energy vampire can bask in the emotional energy of others. Often isolates, but not by their choice, the energy vampire will seek out the company of others even though their company may not be wanted.

For more information about energy vampires, vampire products, vampire jewelry, or vampire books and movies, please visit: http://astore.amazon.com/vampirebooks09-20

Not all vampires suck blood, some suck energy. Have you ever left a conversation or an encounter with another person and you feel like a little bit of your energy or spirit is taken away? You may have run into an energy vampire. Sergei Nikodimov, an expert in unexplained phenomenon and the paranormal, states that running into an energy vampire can be a day by day experience. He contends that every person on the planet can be placed under two categories, vampires and donors. This is explained by the idea that everyone radiate biological energy and that energy can be shared or, in the case of the vampire, taken.

This expert even states that vampires are born to suck energy. If you have a vampire baby, you will find that this child will want to be at the heel of the parents at any given moment or will want to sleep with their parents at night. The need for energy is considered sub-conscious and the child or adult vampire will not know it is feeding on the energy. The donor, on the other hand, will feel fatigue or headaches due to the energy drain of the vampire they are close to.

For more vampire info, products, jewelry, books, or movies please visit: http://astore.amazon.com/vampirebooks09-20