This is just a short reflection, following up on my two
recent posts about returning to a ‘day job’ and what I’ve learned from the
experience. The other posts have focused on how I’ve shifted my mindset to a
positive one, and what that has meant both for my energy and for my business as
I continue to pursue my dreams.
This post is a little different. It’s about the healing I’ve
experienced by finding a positive job environment.
A toxic work situation can be truly devastating. You can
lose your energy to negativity, as well as sacrificing your time and ability.
I wrote last about the importance on focusing on positivity.
But a key detail is that if you feel negative in a situation, you need to
figure out whether this negativity is internal or external. When I went back to
work, the bad energy was within me, and was a reaction to feeling like I wasn’t
in control of my situation, and holding onto the idea that the situation was a
bad one. This was in spite of the overwhelming positivity surrounding me, and
the opportunities my new work had already started to bring me.
This is very different from previous work experiences, where
the negativity surrounded me and my best efforts couldn’t compete with the external
damage of my situation.
If you are in a negative work situation, you have to find a
way to safely leave. It’s like a damaging relationship. You can feel the
effects of emotional abuse in your work setting that damage all aspects of your
life and dreams.
Like the feeling of leaving a negative relationship, when I
walked away from my previous employment, I spent a long while feeling the
backlash of ‘never again’ and believing any day job would have the same power
to harm me.
My new job has been incredibly healing. The culture of my
coworkers is supportive and affirming. The employee culture prioritizes our
needs, from the simple (adequate breaks) to the profound—the office is going
through a domestic violence prevention training to help all members of the team
recognize and prevent abuse. I NEVER would have imagined this was possible! I
feel cared for, known, and valued. My work is building me up, instead of
tearing me down.
If you feel unsatisfied with your current path, take a bit
of time and reflect on where this dissatisfaction is coming from. Are you in a
situation that is damaging you? Or is there something you can shift within
yourself, consciously moving from the negative to the positive, that can change
the way you relate to your surroundings to find the positive?
I would love to hear your experiences with both the
positives and negatives of employment. What’s your journey? Reach out—let’s
share what we’ve learned.
