Why is standing up for yourself such a difficult task? Why is it so much easier to let people treat you with such a lack of respect on a continual basis and not say a word?
Well this was me, I have been bullied, picked on, verbally abused from childhood and well into my adult life. That is up until recently. When I started my current full-time job I can with all honestly admit that I was not thrilled to take the job there were a few things that made me uncomfortable during the interview process but I was pretty pumped and excited to be in my old stomping ground and have a place to myself again.
Well, here I am 3 months in to this job and already involved with an HR investigation for employer bullying. I took a stand. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this new me. I wasn’t sure if I was making the right decision. I felt empowered but then it was quickly followed by sadness, anger, anxiety, and guilt.
I had just spent the last 3 months watching staff members be bullied but the same woman who was now bullying me; and watched some of the staff members quit because it just became too much. Here I sat; a 35 year old woman allowing a 60 year old woman berate me, be little me and tell me I am worthless. But I am not worthless I am worthy of so much respect and I am required to stand up for myself regardless of the situation.
No matter where you are, school, work, home, friends, boyfriend/girlfriend it is OK to stand up for YOU! You are so incredibly important and special and sometimes people can take that away from you. They can break you down to a point where you spend your life thinking they were right but at some point you must have a breakthrough and realize it is OK to tell them they are wrong.
Have you been a workplace harassment situation? How did it affect you? How did it work out for you?
