Badassery Magazine July 2018 Issue 26 | Page 60

Someone else’s behavior means nothing about you. Take control of this story and question it. Third, Committing to and Investing in Yourself Is the Key. When we get trapped in a harassment story, we are devoting a tremendous amount of time and energy to our harasser. We are basically giving away energy that we could be putting into ourselves. One of the most poisonous things I see my clients believe when this happens is that they “shouldn’t have to” invest in themselves or in solving the problem. If you are not invested in yourself and moving forward in your career, who is? Living your best life is your responsibility. It is absolutely worth investing in your career and putting your energy towards that. Don’t let harassment derail you. You are the perfect person to solve this problem. One thing to remember is that the women coming after you will have to deal with this problem, too, if you are not willing to commit to your career and solve this. I support any woman who wants to leave, and of course if you are in physical danger, protect yourself. But, leaving and quitting are not your only options. There are ways to clean up toxic work environments and end sexual harassment without quitting.  Meredith Holley Meredith Holley is a lawyer, life coach, and bestselling author of the book Career Defense 101: Is Your Career Safe From Sexism? Meredith helps women clean up toxic work environments and end sexual harassment, without quitting, so that they can focus on work they love. For a free copy of Meredith's book, visit www.CareerDefense101.com. freedomresourcecenter.com    60 • BADASSERY MAGAZINE