who are the negative energy creators in our life?

I'm about to enter another stage in my life in a few short days and so with the extra time I have had to sit and enjoy some quiet moments, it has allowed me to reflect on a few things in life.
Growing up, I can recall many times where I was just a sounding board for my friends and family. Never thought too much of it, except being told that the idea of being a "good friend" is to be able to listen. Listen I did, but at the same time not realizing the impact that negative and "down" thoughts can have on a person.

I'm almost certain that by the time we are in our 30's we would have met someone along the way who just exudes negative energy. The only question is how much do they project out and how much do you absorb? Do you have that one friend or family member that when they are down or ranting about something, it seems to bring your entire spirits down too? And by the time they are done ( he/she is feeling much better) but now you have this heavy, almost suffocating sensation or your chest feels so heavy that you will just sink to the bottom of the sea even in a floatation device. I find these people like the Borg on Star Trek. They follow the rules of physics, they are negative and therefore naturally they are attracted to a positive person but even the most positive person eventually would be "assimilated" to this slowly and unwittingly form of negative energy.

I am not saying to dump your friends or family ( of course the latter is definitely a difficult one to do) but to be aware of this phenomenon of assimilated negative energy. Know when to put a stop and know when it is necessary to just walk away from such a person. Even therapist and councillors of all sorts know to debrief so as to ground themselves again or double checking that they have not accidentally picked up their clients "baggage" so to speak with them. But we, as the average citizen who doesn't have a job to clearly identify what is our "energy" and what is someone else's, we are truly at the mercy of this person who shares with us this stealth-like negative energy. Once the wheels of this negative vortex starts to develop, it almost catapults us into a realm of darkness and shadows.

I have run into friends and clients who can say that once they have determine the people to keep in their lives (those that they can manage to deflect these vibes) and those they need to keep at bay, their lives tend to change for the better. The dark clouds disperse, making way for the glimmer of sunshine to once again penetrate deep into our psyche.


All comments and stories are welcomed.