Office Politics and Disturbances

I work in an environment that leaves a lot to be desired. It's a cramped space, and the owners need to invest in improving the workspace, rather than hoarding the money away for a rainy day. Back to front, the storefront is in need of repairs and expansion, or the offices need to be relocated altogether. 

I know we're in a financial crises, but I don't think that's reason enough to have mended a drafty hole in the bathroom wall. One best wear a pullover sweater during colder temperatures if all the bits and pieces are to remain intact. 

The space is small bordering on claustrophobic, and many of my new coworkers were never taught to use their inside voice, and without proper cubicles and distance between desks, voices carry and crawl up the back of the neck. The resulting migraine headache, preventable. 

I've worked for small business owners before, but never a family-owned business in a cultural enclave replete with different customs and belief systems. I initially thought of this experience as a form of affirmative action, but it's not the same. 

Working in this place is like stepping into a time machine to a place before passports were needed. A time of feudal villages, warlords, and autocracies. 

Regardless of the industry or office size, politics exist in the daily operations. It's wrong for a small business to be run like a family, even if it's family-owned and operated. 

I'm grateful for the opportunity to prove myself, but don't look forward to jumping through hoops or being subjected to the whims of an immature, moody boss. 

Let Go, Let God

I believe that all people and situations happen into our lives under the watchful eye of God. Inasmuch as I believe that, it can be difficult to accept at times. I've been doing my best to strengthen my faith that everything will work out for the best, even when dark clouds hang overhead, and I've left my umbrella at home because I didn't pay attention to early warning signs.

Oftentimes we struggle against ourselves, when it'd probably be best to wait out the temporary storm. When we're beset by malevolent spirits who seek to undo all the good deeds and rattle our foundation, remember that this too shall pass.

Mondays are typically filled with anxiety because it's the start of the work week, but the day follows Sunday, a traditional Christian church day. Why can't we change the script and look forward to Mondays, regarding than grumbling when the alarm clock sounds?

I've been firing off resumes to reenter the job market after several years of freelancing as an Adult Education/ESL/Accent Reduction Teacher. I have to let go of the anxiety that I'll lose something by returning to fulltime work outside the apartment or local community centers within walking distance of home.

Job interviews are meant, we hope, to select the best candidate at that time, rather than filling a racial quota, or reacting to mounting competitive pressures to fill a void at a company.

I'm not looking forward to playing daily games of office politics, wherein I must remember who's a member of which insular clique, and who's the boss's pet.

I will remind myself that upon successfully landing a fulltime job, that it is a job, and that it will not define who I am and what I stand for. I'll be paid contractor, only with a regular paycheck. I'll no longer have to hustle and jump through the freelance hoops of always being five days ahead of my current gig, while trying to complete it.

If need be, I'll step away from my desk and bow my head in prayer. Dear God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.