A few months back I attended a fitness conference and had the privilege of hearing Todd Durkin speak. He was loud, chock full o’ energy and though he spoke at the tail end of the day, he captivated the entire audience. One thing about his speech that really stuck with me was the term “energy vampires”. Todd explained that an energy vampire is a person who is negative, defeatist, fatalistic, and sucks all the motivation and positive energy out of you. In short, an energy vampire is a Debbie Downer. Being in the presence of an energy vampire takes so much WORK. You have to constantly remind yourself that the world is not as crappy as they make it seem, and that life CAN be rewarding and enriching. Todd implored us to rid our lives of energy vampires; they are a detriment to a healthy lifestyle. I was very intrigued by Todd’s speech and have been thinking about this topic a lot since.
He is SO right!! When I stopped and took a mental inventory of all the folks with whom I interact on a daily basis, I realized there were some energy vampires in the mix. I decided to do a little research project of my own. For the next week or two, I made note of the times I hung out with those who I had previously labeled to be energy vampires. Then I made note of my mood and attitude before, during, and after my interactions. There was a definite pattern: my mood always went sour and my level of motivation and energy decreased significantly after hanging out with these folks!!! Sometimes, I even started to feel crummy beforehand, when I knew I would be interacting with them later in the day. It really astounded me when I paid attention to it. It affected everything from the way I treated friends and family in the hours immediately following, to what food/drink I chose to consume, to the level of energy I had for the rest of the day.
I also found the opposite to be true: when I interacted with positive-minded people who have an upbeat and motivated outlook on life, I was more apt to follow suit. Happiness, positive energy, good vibes, and motivation are contagious; hang out with people who are chock full o’ these things and you will be too. I am most at ease and comfortable when I’m around other people who share my passion for fitness, healthy eating, and living well. It makes me happy to know that there are other folks out there who find pleasure in the same things as I.
As for the energy vampires in my life- I try every day to follow Todd’s advice of getting rid of as many as possible. I just simply choose NOT to hang out with folks like this. Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes the energy vampires are unavoidable; I make sure to mentally prepare myself beforehand, and hang out with positive people afterward!
He is SO right!! When I stopped and took a mental inventory of all the folks with whom I interact on a daily basis, I realized there were some energy vampires in the mix. I decided to do a little research project of my own. For the next week or two, I made note of the times I hung out with those who I had previously labeled to be energy vampires. Then I made note of my mood and attitude before, during, and after my interactions. There was a definite pattern: my mood always went sour and my level of motivation and energy decreased significantly after hanging out with these folks!!! Sometimes, I even started to feel crummy beforehand, when I knew I would be interacting with them later in the day. It really astounded me when I paid attention to it. It affected everything from the way I treated friends and family in the hours immediately following, to what food/drink I chose to consume, to the level of energy I had for the rest of the day.
I also found the opposite to be true: when I interacted with positive-minded people who have an upbeat and motivated outlook on life, I was more apt to follow suit. Happiness, positive energy, good vibes, and motivation are contagious; hang out with people who are chock full o’ these things and you will be too. I am most at ease and comfortable when I’m around other people who share my passion for fitness, healthy eating, and living well. It makes me happy to know that there are other folks out there who find pleasure in the same things as I.
As for the energy vampires in my life- I try every day to follow Todd’s advice of getting rid of as many as possible. I just simply choose NOT to hang out with folks like this. Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes the energy vampires are unavoidable; I make sure to mentally prepare myself beforehand, and hang out with positive people afterward!
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