The true power of personal self awareness and self knowledge comes when we begin to analyze the different types of energies around us and how they affect our personality, our health, and our spiritual and psychic well being.  Many things give off good vibes, or positive energy, which can greatly improve mental and spiritual health and provide wonderful opportunities to relax and enjoy life. Some things do not give off positive energy, and instead drain away our positive energy. These forces act much like psychic vampires, destroying opportunities for happiness and peace.
     If you have already completed the Self Portrait exercise, this is a good follow up exercise. Take 30 to 45 minutes to really devote your time and energy to this following exercise, which will hopefully make you more aware of the energy gainers and drainers around you.

Energy Gainers
What are energy gainers?

    Energy gainers are those things with positive, supporting energies which surround you.  Perform the following exercise to examine the energy gainers in your life.

Step One: You will need a piece of paper, lined or unlined; a pen or pencil (perhaps different colors will help you with this project); a good place to sit down, think and work; and time, energy, and imagination to really examine your life.
Step Two: At the top of one side of the page of paper, write the words "ENERGY GAINERS". Focus on these words for a moment and really consider what they mean to you. What is it that provides you with energy and the abilities to be happy and really focus on yourself and your responses to the world? What things around you give you opportunities to relax or be inspired?
Step Three: Proceed to list these things under the words "ENERGY GAINERS", one item per line. If you like, use colors that are soothing or happy for you and use a different color for each entry. You don't need to think of anything else right now. Just focus on what your energy gainers are and don't worry about anything else that comes to mind.
Step Four: Once this is completed, turn over the page of paper for the next part of the exercise.

Energy Drainers
What are energy drainers?

    An energy drainer instead drains away positive energy, making you cranky or irritable, and generally reducing your ability to peacefully understand and respond to the world around you. There are many things that you may want to accomplish but do not because you "just don't have enough energy". This exercise is for you.

Step One: At the top of the second side of the same page of paper, write the words "ENERGY DRAINERS". Focus on these words for a moment and really consider what they mean to you. What is it that seems to drain energy from you or cause you to lose your temper? What things and events around you take away your opportunities for happiness, relaxation, or inspiration?
Step Two: Proceed to list these things under the words "ENERGY DRAINERS", one item per line. If you like, use colors that are uncomfortable or unattractive for you and use a different color for each entry.  You don't need to think of anything else right now. Just focus on what your energy drainers are and don't worry about anything else that comes to mind.
Step Three: Once this is completed, put away the page of paper in a drawer or notebook, where it is no longer visible to you, and proceed to go through the next few days as you would normally.

Follow Up
After you have lived a few days with this list subconsciously active in your mind, make available a second amount of time to really sit down and devote yourself to this exercise. 30 or 45 minutes will be fine.
Step One: Take out your list and look at the ENERGY GAINERS side. Place a check mark next to every listed event or activity that took place since you wrote the list and write down what happened right next to it, or on a different piece of paper if you'd like to perform this part repeatedly. What opportunity did that event provide for you? How did it make you more happy, successful, relaxed, or inspired? Pause for a moment after completing this step to be grateful to those positive energies and their sources.
Step Two: Look at the ENERGY DRAINERS side. Place an "X" next to every listed event or activity that took place since you wrote the list and write down what happened right next to it, or on a different piece of paper if you'd like to perform this part repeatedly.  What opportunities did these events take away from you? Did you lose control of your emotions, or suddenly become irritated at the world or at the situation?  Pause for a moment after completing this step to feel the negative feelings and emotions and upsetting memories that have risen as a result of this part of the exercise fade away.

More Advanced Techniques of Using This List As time progresses, and you become more aware of when your energy is being drained or gained, take a moment to mentally record the event consciously and consider your list back at home. Use your conscious awareness to set up a psychic defense against energy drainers and psychic channels for energy gainers. Psychic Defense A psychic defense is a buffer zone against negative energy. Imagine a wall of light between you and the source of negative energy which blocks your energy from being drained. If the source of negative energy is a person or animal, take a moment to send healing energy around your psychic defense and communicate love and well being to that person or animal. Psychic Channel A psychic channel is the exact opposite of a psychic defense. Imagine a funnel of energy between you and the source of positive energy, and this positive energy streaming through more enhanced and focused more intently on you. Then use your visualization techniques to send this energy to others that you meet throughout the day.       Look for Parallels in your List of energy gainers and energy drainers. Are there some things on both sides that are similar to one another, or perhaps might occur under similar circumstances? As your awareness of energy drainers and energy gainers around you improves, use visualization and emotional focus to change an energy draining circumstance to an energy gaining circumstance.      Overall, I hope you will be able to use some of the techniques in this exercise to become gently aware of positive and negative energies around you, and to do what you can to enhance positive effects in your life, and diminish the negative ones. And I also hope I imparted some of the power that comes with self awareness: the powers of self knowledge and transformation, which is what Accessing Your Inner Light is all about.