It’s almost palpable. You walk into any company or organization, whether it’s the Department of Motor Vehicles or the grocery store around the corner, and you can immediately pick up on the vibe, good or bad. Wherever there’s a collection of people, there will be a collective energy that permeates the space. What does your work environment feel like to you?
If it’s a bit challenged, know that there are lots of things you can do to enhance the atmosphere for your own benefit as well as those with whom you work. Plus, in addition to making a direct impact on the environment through your own efforts, you will most likely inspire others to begin to make a few shifts of their own.
So what can you do to shift the vibe?
Vibe Shifter #1: Don’t Dim Your Light
When you’re in a negative work environment it can be really challenging to bring and release the best of you. When we experience a constant onslaught of organizational challenges, bad attitudes, super tight deadlines, a lack of basic communication, etc., we have to be selective with how we use any disposable energy that remains, and most of it typically goes towards mere survival. Coping becomes the order of the day. However, getting stuck in a “spiral of survival” does not serve you. It depletes you.
Daring to work wholeheartedly is about interrupting this cycle in a conscious and intentional way. Reconnect with the parts of yourself that feel happy and light when you are away from your job. I mean, truly make it soul nourishing. My coach says this is knowing what’s necessary for “the care and feeding of you”.
Then, upon returning to work, imagine that happiness and light as a little flame within your mind or your heart. And when situations and other people threaten to blow it out, do whatever you can to protect it or, if necessary, reignite it.
If you are 5 times brighter in your personal life than you are at work, make a decision to bring that light with you! Many individuals have conditioned themselves into thinking that it’s okay to somehow subdivide their humanity and be one person in their personal lives and another at work.
Or they have accepted the looming and unspoken agreement that work is supposed to suck, i.e. “There’s no goodness here, therefore any good that I have within me (my love, my joy, my peace) must be protected and held in reserve for my personal life.” Challenge these beliefs. Rekindle your light.
Vibe Shifter #2: Say, “No” to Gossip and Negativity
Complaining and speaking negatively about others serves one (hidden) purpose, it makes us feel superior and serves as a quick fix for our little egos. And boy oh boy can our minds easily find every reason in the world to justify it. The question, however, is does it really serve you? And how does it impact the office vibe?
We mistakenly think that what we say behind closed doors and under wraps is somehow hidden. So, if no one openly heard what we had to say, then it’s all good. But this is simply not true.
Negative chatter carries a certain charge with it that subtly infuses the place. Don’t believe me? Think about a time when you walked in on a conversation and you absolutely KNEW that someone had either been talking about you or talking about something that you weren’t supposed to hear. You could feel it.
We are not as gifted as we think we are in throwing people off — and because we are all more intuitive than we care to admit, we can rather easily detect the scent of negative and destructive talk.
Furthermore, gossiping and complaining shifts our behavior and shapes how we carry ourselves. We operate based on the story that we’re carrying where we’ve convinced ourselves that someone is somehow less than we are.
So eliminate the damaging noise and choose constructive (non-judgmental) ways to process the work related challenges that surface. Adopt a no gossip policy. Trust me, it’s possible.
And once you take this position, others will eventually make note of it and redirect themselves towards a more suitable vessel.
Imagine then, if more people jumped on board. Eventually, those who are inclined to engage in this type of behavior will find a limited number of willing partners.
The message?
You are not a trash receptacle. Say no to garbage. Use that energy, instead, to guard your inner light.
Part 2 next week!
Quote of the Week: “Who gossips with you will gossip of you.” — Unknown
Monica Moody
Monica Moody
