In my memoir, I tell of an incident early in my life, many, many years before Dr. Aron began her work to identify and classify the personality style known as highly sensitive. The characters in this incident were myself, another highly sensitive person (HSP), an energy vampire, and an enabler. At the center of the story was a souvenir glass swan; a graceful, elegant, but also functional souvenir that sat on the desk, and was a cherished memento, of the other HSP in the story.
The incident fell on a day when the energy vampire chose to target both myself and this other HSP in the office where we all worked. It started at a meeting where the energy vampire and enabler conspired to inflict pain on me in a very personal way. But the energy vampire was not satisfied with me alone. When I returned to the office, I found a scene that struck me so strongly that to this day I ache for the other HSP.
The energy vampire had taken the other HSP’s swan that she held so dear, and thrown it on the floor with enough force to shatter it into tiny little pieces.
To this point in my life, I did not believe that any person existed that would purposely do that to another individual, whether they liked them or not. It was an incident that opened my eyes to the dangers we face in an unkind world. To me, that little swan became a symbol of those of us who can be easily shattered by the energy vampires of the world. And the absolute need to protect ourselves.
Knowing their words and actions can wound, energy vampires (whom I refer to as Swan-Killers) purposely set out to inflict as much pain as possible. They maximize their efforts by targeting HSPs because we can be hurt easily. They do this in a useless attempt to quell their own hateful feelings toward themselves. This is the only way they know how to handle these irrepressible, distressing emotions they have. There is little hope for them, but there is hope for us. We can stop being in their bull’s-eye.
The way we do this is to shore up our own personal power. Yes, we have a great deal of personal power, but we are reticent to use it. Personal power is the force that we all have within us to manage our relationships and the events in our lives. This is not a strength that we pull from any authority given to us. It is the fortitude that comes from our individual characteristics, attitudes, and beliefs.
In Part 2 of this post, I will share four steps to take right now to shore up your power for protection against Swan-Killers and Energy Vampires.
We, as HSPs, have a unique kind of personal power. We need this power because we are favorite targets of Swan-Killers and other toxic people. To be the best you can be, own your power to stop abuse in its tracks.
Tune into Part 2 for four tips to magnify that power.
Copyright 2022, Monica Nelson
