Vibe check challenge check-in

I was at an all-day seminar the other day for work, and it reminded me of what I do not like about being psychic and existing in crowds because of the vibes: most crowds you encounter are not crowds of happy people. They are bored, they are impatient, they are hangry, they are worried about [insert noun here], and so as a psychic person I absorb that churning energy a lot of the time. The exception is really good concerts where everyone's having a euphoric experience, and believe me, that is a high in and of itself, but it's a very loud high, and then the crowd turns anxious again as we shuffle our way out of the arena and go back to worrying about that [noun]. It takes me extra time to get rid of that churning feeling, too (it feels kind of like clawing hunger). Simply leaving does not offer immediate relief, in the same way that simply walking away from the angry person yelling at you does not make you immediately feel 100% better. You maybe feel 20% better initially and then work your way up over time, you know?

I am genuinely curious as to whether any of you accepted my vibe check challenge and if so, what you've been doing to combat negativity and keep your own emotional safety and sanity bubble intact, so that's an open invitation right there to drop me a line. Reminder: I call myself "the Oracle" as a joke. I'm not special and I don't go and sit on sides of mountains to purify myself or anything weird like that, so don't be shy. I'm currently in a standoff with a blender, if that humanizes me at all for you. And I do mean the appliance.

My own initiative looks like one thing, but is really another. Last year, my boss ordered our whole team intention bracelets through MyIntent.org, because she was on a personal growth mission and decided to bring us along. Most of us wore ours for most of 2023, though mine broke midway and I put it on my key ring. My intention was reminding me what I was trying not to do, which was impinge upon other people's lives, because if someone tells me they have a goal and then flagrantly don't do the goal, something in my brain short-circuits and I start fixating. It bothers me when someone says they are going to do one thing and do the opposite of that. We're all human, though, and it's common when people are trying to start diets or quit situationships, you know? I think I did a better job of that in 2023 and left people to their own problems.

This year, I ordered my own MyIntent intention bracelet that's vibe check challenge-themed (reminding myself not to dive into drama headfirst, since it has a habit of finding me a lot), but it didn't feel like enough. Then I realized: you know what's really prevalent right now, and also really cheap to get on Etsy? Friendship bracelets. So I somewhat-compulsively started ordering them. Now I have a whole bunch, and every day I choose one or two as reminders of what I need to focus on either doing or not doing to keep myself on track. So I basically look like a Swiftie, but if I remember what my wrist says even 2 or 3 times a day, reminding myself not to say something that will make me sound like an asshole or not to take someone else's anger personally or not to beat myself up psychologically about stuff that's not in my control, I'm going to have a better day. For example, I have one that says "rage*" which I wear either to acknowledge that I am pissed off (and to remind myself to find a healthy outlet for it) or that I have pissed someone else off and therefore (being me) I am going to feel the effects of anger directed at me, even if it never materializes in the physical world. (If I'm in a fight with someone, I feel my anger AND their anger. It's pretty confusing.)

There are a few Esty merchants who immediately recognize my name and address at this point, and they probably think I'm a nutjob. I've slowed myself down and now stall for a day or three before ordering one to make sure it's the word I really want, but I can't seem to stop ordering them, because self-improvement for me is compulsive. Take my money, kind Etsy bracelet maker! I know I'm ordering weird words.

Anyway, my point is that something as simple as a little reminder of your intention can provide benefits over time if you're trying to break old habits or adopt new ones, or just remind yourself of situations you don't want to find yourself in… if you can help it.

*For those of you who are new, I keep mentioning anger partially because I’m Aries rising. We see lots of things through the lens of fighting.