Dear Liberty
by Liberty Forrest
Dear Liberty,
I’m having a problem with a colleague who keeps insulting me. She is always
belittling me and has pretty much knocked out any confidence I ever had about
myself. I’m angry and hurt, and I hate the way she makes me feel. But I love my
job and don’t want to leave. To make things worse, she’s good friends with the
boss so I don’t dare complain either.
What can I do about this?
Signed,
Fed up in Phoenix
Dear Fed Up,
I’ve had plenty of experience with people like
that so I understand how you’re feeling.
It can help to look at this woman’s behavior as
a gift; please let me explain before you throw
rocks at my house.
The first part is that her behavior has nothing
to do with you. This is about her choice to be
rude and insulting. She’s probably like this with
lots of people in her life; that’s her issue to work
out. Or not.
Secondly, your response has nothing to do with
her behavior. You always get to choose how you
react to what other people say and do. No one
can ever control your feelings. So if you have
some issues with self-esteem or self-doubt,
54 | Eydis Magazine
another person’s comments might trigger those
feelings but that’s on you, not the other person.
For example, if you truly love, respect, and
value yourself, if you really know and trust
yourself, your q ualities, and abilities, you’ll
have enough confidence not to let the nasty
comments of an insecure or bitter person have
a negative impact on you.