Self-doubt and second-guessing run rampant. At a reception recently, yours truly functioned as a life coach, making the rounds of guests and offering my two cents which could probably easily equal two million dollars for the friends involved. People seem to gravitate to me for advice. This was strictly off-the-record and gratis, simply people going through the pain of being either undervalued or manipulated at work.

How many of us have faced similar scenarios in a variety of settings?

Why did they stay? You won’t believe it.

These decent people, who performed duties above and beyond, as well as below and beneath their job descriptions, knew that their place of business would close if they walked out the door. The owners or directors of said corporations were so overdependent on these workers that everything would collapse like a house of cards if these overworked and overwrought employees for once thought of themselves and decided to hightail it out of there.

Let me say this: I believe in loyalty. Almost too much.  I believe that if someone has taken care of you, you should take care of them.

To an extent.

Yet there comes a time when that you must lay your cards on the line and inform said employer that it’s in their best interests to treat you right. No more abuse. No more manipulation. No more taking you for granted.

Otherwise, you become like a ticking time bomb, internalizing the mistreatment until you can take it no more. The symptoms of stress and excessive anxiety overtake you, much of it stemming from being too much of a nice guy, which I don’t think we can ever be too nice, but you know what I mean.

We become doormats when we undervalue ourselves and second-guess and self-doubt. Which leads us to today’s motto:

“About a third of my cases are suffering from no clinically definable neurosis, but from the senselessness and emptiness of their lives. This can be defined as the general neurosis of our times.” ~C.G. Jung

It’s a spiritual issue. There is not a haphazard aspect to the universe. Instead, there is order and Meaning. You were created in the image of God. You have dignity and purpose. You are on Planet Earth to live your best life and help others. You are here to worship, yes, worship God, with your very existence.

Apart from this, there is a certain malaise, a dissatisfaction, a quest for more, a search for meaning, a dis-ease which can lead to disease when we don’t understand why we are here. There is no need to be empty when we can be full.

There is no need to close our hearts to those who are struggling, from the one billion starving in the world today, to those girls and women sold or kidnapped into sexual slavery, to children working long and inhumane hours in sweat shops trying to pay off family debts. Taking on some of the problems of others may actually result in your cup overflowing, in the understanding of how blessed you truly are, and how, by standing up for yourself, you may be garnering the strength to stand for someone else, struggling halfway around the world.

Let go of the emptiness and senselessness. Open your hands to receive a new life full of meaning and value. You matter. You really do.

Happy Monday, everyone!

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