Work-place bullies. What should you do?

Richard woke at 4.00am in a cold sweat.

It was then he knew he’d have to do something about the bullying he was experiencing at work.

He enjoyed his job and liked his colleagues.

In fact, it was good in every way… apart from the boss who seemed to have something against him.

Others noticed it too, the way he always picked on Richard, endlessly negative; they thought it was all a bit odd and just said ‘Ignore it’.

But Richard couldn’t ignore it. It got inside him and so he went online and tried to educate himself about bullying.

He also tried to psychoanalyse his bullying boss, to understand why he picked on him.

He read loads of stuff hoping it would help.

But it didn’t help…he still woke at 4.00am in a cold sweat.

And it didn’t help because it was looking at the matter the wrong way round.

Freedom came for Richard when instead of looking at his boss, he looked at himself… because he was the only person he had any control over.

‘Why do I give this person so much power over me?’ he asked.

Richard cannot change his boss; but he can change his own reactions to his boss and take back some of the power.

He allows this sad man’s negativity to pass through him now; and it doesn’t feel personal anymore.

Like his colleagues say, it’s just odd…nothing more frightening than that.

Perhaps he’ll confront him, perhaps he won’t. But whatever he chooses to do, he’ll do it from a free space inside himself.

There’s no fear there now.

And when fear goes, peace grows.