So many young adults long to grow up, finish school and get out into the working world with dreams of making a name for themselves. I graduated college in four years, carrying 15 to 18 credits a semester and attending two or more classes during the summer to do it, and couldn’t wait to get out and start making money — and somehow make a difference.
But once a person lands in the working world, he or she inevitably realizes it is often riddled with people who are not only eager to get ahead, but who are willing to do so at the expense of others, and suddenly it doesn’t seem so fun anymore.
Whether its lying, stealing or stabbing a co-worker in the back, no matter what industry a person works in, he or she is bound to experience this scenario either first-hand or as a witness.
While the first response is often anger, or feeling hurt, I believe when something like this presents itself in our lives, we need to look for the lesson and have faith that there is a meaning behind it. Often the people who cause us to struggle the most are the ones who become our greatest teachers.
Last year, I interviewed hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons on the subject of spirituality and business for Elevated Existence Magazine’s March 2009 cover story, and asked his advice on dealing with challenges and negativity at work.
"Learning from a tough experience is the most important thing in life, and resilience is just critical," he said in the March 2009 cover story. “It’s like in yoga when you practice the hardest poses, and you just smile and breathe no matter how difficult the pose is — and then one day the pose becomes easy. It’s the same in life. You take it off the mat."
While it may be as difficult to smile and breath through a yoga pose as it is to deal with a betrayal at work, what he says makes sense. When a challenge presents itself in our lives, we are often meant to gain understanding and knowledge from it in order to evolve to the next step in our spiritual lives.
If you are facing conflict or betrayal at work, it may be teaching you to stand up for yourself, and not allow others to take your power. It may even be as simple as learning not to trust this person in the future, which could save you a lot of trouble in the long run.
Just know the longer you hold on to the anger or hurt feelings, the more damage you are doing to YOURSELF! Find the lesson and love yourself enough to let go of the pain. And if you can¹t figure out what you are being taught, or you are having trouble letting go of the negative emotions, ask your guides, angels and the Divine to help you understand and release the pain. Believe me, they are more than willing to help!
Tammy Mastroberte
Founder, Publisher & Editorial Director
Elevated Existence Magazine
www.elevatedexistence.com
Yes, the work place is full of persons who are hell-bent on trying to make themselves look good at other people's expense. I am dealing with one right now. I have found that it always backfires on him when he does this and HE winds up looking like a fool. His behavior still angers me though and that's what I'm working on right now.