There are certain things and people that I just absolutely adore to be around. They fill me with joy and bring me energy and radiate positivity. They make me laugh and smile and feel like a better person. They give, they don’t take.

Then, there are certain things and people of whom I would rather not spend any more than five minutes around. They fill me with heartache and drain me of energy and rain negativity on my parade.

These people take every last drop of enthusiasm and strength left in my body, and I leave the conversation feeling as if the sky is grey and the grass is withered. I’ve heard the term “energy vampires”, and I can think of a handful of faces that seem to fit with this definition.

The lesson of day twelve is to keep in contact with friends, but don’t give away more energy than necessary. They simply aren’t worth it, because your energy can’t be bought, only recreated. And recreating your lost energy takes some of your new energy and then you’re back to square one again and the endless cycle repeats itself.

Everyone has a list of people in their life who take up all the oxygen in the room, then expect you to help them breathe. In my nineteen years, I’ve found these vampires to be lurking in the places I least expected them. Usually the ones who you trusted to help recognize your struggle to inhale and exhale are the ones who suck the most from your lungs. I’ve even found that the vampiric traits are passed down, and can run rampant through a family. Run far and fast from these types.

Overall, I’ve developed the ability to recognize energy vampires long before I let them even bruise me. While it may be hard to cut the floss-thin cord wrapped around a crumbling friendship, the pain soon melts away when you have the energy to take care of yourself.

Always be selfish, and when it comes to keeping friends in your life, choose wisely.

Genuinely,

Madeleine