ayushi
Hola people! It’s been a long time since we met on Fuzz. I was on a family trip to Mumbai. I might not have been active but how could I leave one day that we meet up every month? So, here I am.
Today, I have something really special to share with you. It’s a lesson that I learned a few days ago. Our upbringing and our personal interaction with our surroundings help us build a belief system that becomes a foundation of our character. But as we grow, we witness a lot of events that seem quite opposite to our belief.
My belief system has taught me to see fairness in the world, to believe that if one focuses on just working hard, one can achieve whatever one wants to. In terms of people, my belief system holds empathy and honesty as the top traits that one must have and develop to live a meaningful life.
I expect people to “understand”, to use their “conscience” when they act and to be “honest” with them. Even if being honest means accepting that one is dishonest.
But recently, I realized that more than anything, people love wearing a mask. They love sacrificing others for their own benefit. It’s not that I didn’t know that the world is unfair. It’s just that I believed that if I act the way I am supposed to as a human being; the other person in my influence will attempt to do the same. As they say, if you have got a bad company, try to spread good vibes and you shall see the change.
Recently, I witnessed a situation where a person of high position misused her power and tried to make me a scapegoat. 4 instances, there were four situations where I was brought at the center and criticized for doing my job. Funny thing is, when I committed the mistake, I was the one who owned up and rectified it while she being a leader misused the trust people has on her to hide hers.
The sad thing is whenever I tried speaking up for myself, I was shut down. Some reasoned out that my age is making me angry and overly impulsive while others did not mind showing the perspective of that woman and making me understand her choice of action.
I witnessed a spectacle where a group of people was validating the wrong doings of an authority figure. A sudden thought came to my mind; workplace really is a microcosm of politics that our nation’s leaders play.
What the situation would have been like:
- If they had just tried and seen the situation from my perspective.
- If they had come down to my level leaving their ego aside and stepped into my shoes to understand how I was feeling.
It’s easier to preach than to practice. Once a person reaches a higher position, even a question pricks him/her. People think that it is okay to demean others but it isn’t. No matter how much you try to handle the situation professionally but if the other side is not ready to even “listen”, you cannot help but reach the saturation point.
I reached mine last week and my outburst was not a good but it made me feel proud of myself. My leaders failed to stand up so, I chose to stand up for myself.
The lesson then is, don’t rely on others to be fair. People might disappoint you but try not to disappoint yourself.
Has something similar happened to you? Had you been at my place, what would you have done?
