No longer the middle man

Recently I have been surrounded by drama at work and I have been trying my absolute best to not succumb to the gossip and keep as many people out of it as possible. It hasn’t been easy. Especially when individuals come to me asking questions about why there is division and I have to skate around it in order to “keep the peace” and stop the problem from spreading.

Then I read a quote that said, “You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should’ve behaved better.”

This quote was like a wake-up call! I have been spending so much time trying to protect the integrity of people who are doing nothing to deserve it! I have skated around issues, down-played interactions, and kept the peace. All the while the other individuals involved are continuing their destruction and not warranting my attempts to defend their character. I am suffering in my attempts to downplay the problems and clean up the mess, and that is so not fair.

I talked to Josh about this because obviously drama can be all-consuming. He has such a level head and is truly a great person to bounce opinions off of. When I explained to him where I was and what my new plan is, he said that as long as I keep gossip out of it, I have every right to stand my ground and speak the truth.

I have decided to live in my truth about situations from now on. I cannot continue to go along with things that go against my soul and I will not defend or downplay the hurtful actions of other people. I have decided that from this point on, if asked about why something is happening I will voice my thoughts on it (in a classy, non-gossipy way) and direct them to address the person causing the issue. It is no longer my job to take the heat off the people causing division amongst the group.

I have been burned too many times doing the right thing and defending people who I thought deserved it. I will no longer go against what I know to be right in order to protect someone else from being exposed for their detrimental actions.

I believe in creating a fair and equal work environment where everyone is given the chance to move forward and succeed. I do not believe in favoring certain people and letting the rest squander. At the end of each day I have to be able to look in the mirror and be happy.