I'M BACK!!!

For those of you who are so generous with your time to take a moment out of your busy day to follow my blog, I first would like to thank you.  I've been on an extended leave due to the fact that I didn't want to write a blog just for the sake of writing a blog.  It's important for me to actually have something to say.  I feel that in this newest age of technology & instant access to anything 24 hours a day, we are so desperate to stay relevant that sometimes we fall victim to the pressure of hitting the internet for fear of being "dropped"... whether by fellow bloggers, via Twitter, etc...  I had an epiphany.  Regardless of what anyone or any group might believe, we are all relevant with no expiration date.

Recently over the last few months I have been struggling with the powerless feeling of being forced to deal with things that are so frustrating & a waste of good energy.  To quote my husband... energy vampires.  I will explain.  An energy vampire by definition is someone who sucks the life right out of you in every sense.  They leave you feeling miserable, angry and exhausted.  There is a very simple test you can do to know for sure if you have been attacked by an energy vampire.  First, ask yourself if you avoid answering the phone whenever the person in question calls for fear of having your entire week ruined.  Then you assess your feelings after you have had any contact with this person.  If they leave you feeling absolutely hopeless & miserable, you must confront the monster by making them aware of how their words or actions are affecting you.  If they are unable to acknowledge your feelings & simply go for the jugular with more mean spiritedness... you are indeed in the presence of an energy vampire who must be destroyed immediately.

Yes, yes I know... easier said than done, especially when you are RELATED to such a horrible creature or are at least forced to deal with them on a regular basis through circumstances beyond your control!!!  Take comfort in the fact that you are not alone.  Many of us are victims to such atrocities every single day.  Since it is impossible to change other people's behavior, the only course of action is the choice you make when confronted with these people.  One of the important lessons I have recently learned is that these people only have real power when we give it to them.  Why do we do that?  Why do we sit on the phone & listen to things we don't have to?  Why do we answer the door when we don't want to?  The answer is WE DON'T.  Stop saying yes to things that you don't want and aren't good for you.  You don't have to allow someone within your circle without your permission, even if they are your family or someone you have to deal with every day.  Respect yourself enough not to be sucked in to their perpetual drama & sense of entitlement.  It's funny how drama has a tendency to dwindle when there is no audience...

When you find your mind drifting to the place of worry and fear that is brought on by the actions of others, replace it with a pleasant thought or action.  Make a commitment to yourself NOT to let another person who doesn't have your best interest in mind have control over your life.  Own your thoughts and feelings.  Sometimes, these bad influences in our lives don't deserve etiquette or political correctness... a heaping dose of the truth often is the best course of action for everyone!  If we all make ourselves a priority then perhaps we can defeat these evil monsters & rid the world of them all.