Self-Confidence, Personal Energies, and Other Useful Free Stuff

I've been taking a free online course, about building self-confidence, through a public library in my area. I'm really enjoying it! Lesson 5 in particular really taught me a lot. This is what I shared with my instructor this week:

I have always believed that emotions are energy and have wanted to learn how to sense and feel energies. Friends of mine have been able to hold various stones in their hands and remark about how the stones' energies feel. Not only did this week's assignment reading help me experience this for the first time, but I realized that I sense and feel energies all the time. I pick up on people's energy so much that it affects me strongly and I feel a need to get away to "regroup." Sometimes I meditate. Now I know why this is so helpful to me.

I also learned that my energy aura is very tight and guarded, and I need to practice releasing negativity and expanding my personal energy in a positive way. This week's exercise showed me that visualizing sending positive light energy outward is actually really simple and helpful. My chest doesn't feel so tight and I feel less afraid. I feel like I replaced the "stale" energy of my room with optimism and love.

Usually, when I go to the grocery store, my gaze is met with stern expressions even if I smile at them. Previously, I have felt confused by this, wondering if everyone has had a bad day (or they just don't like to smile). This week, when I went shopping, I meditated beforehand and purposely sent compassionate energy to each person I saw. Many people smiled back at me. I learned that I was sharing a false smile before, so the energy being sent out wasn't right. This has been a really eye-opening experience.


One great article link in the lesson was this one: mindtools.com/selfconf.html

The second article link surprised me (in a good way). Not only did it teach me to do something I have always wanted to be able to do, it came from a Wiccan website. How open-minded of them! :) thedance.com/wicca101/enbasics.htm

After this class, I plan to take Sewing 101, because I know there are obvious basics that are eluding me and holding me back from making tiny Monster High outfits! ;)

Your local library might give you access to free online courses, too. The ones I am taking are through confidence.onlineclasses.com. (My library also gives free access to Rosetta Stone, Overdrive and Hoopla Digital.) I highly recommend looking into it! :)