Intention Setting

“Please take responsibility for the energy you bring into this space. I realized that for every relationship, not only do I have to be accountable for the energy I bring, but I also have to take responsibility for the energy that I allow from others. I understand that strengthening the bond in any situation is impossible if you’re not surrounded by energy that lifts you up.”

―Oprah Winfrey, The Wisdom of Sundays: Life-Changing Insights from Super Soul Conversations

I, like most people, once had to work in an open floor office space. I, like most people, hated it.

I knew going into the job that some of my co-workers were toxic. I knew this because I had just spent two years in school with them. But, I had bills to pay and the wage was livable. So, I accepted the job and went in every day with a stiff upper lip.

Though my energy was drained every day, I hung on long enough to pass my bar exam and accept a job at a law firm. I was able to do this because I set the intention to take responsibility for my energy. Some people, like my mechanical engineer husband, hate the misuse of the word energy with a passion. So, if that is you, use mood instead.

I took control of my energy/mood by using my environment’s whiteboards to write two sets of quotes every day. One was quotes about Kindness and the other quotes were about Success. I used these quotes in my goals of breathing from higher places and aiming for higher goals than the noise around me. As such, I took control of my focus and flowed it away from draining people.

And in the end, I survived an unhappy chapter in my life because I took Oprah’s advice and took responsibility for my energy. Looking back, I am grateful I had consistent payments while I awaited my bar results. But, mostly I am grateful I got out quickly before my environment made me too depressed.

In writing this, I hope this experience will help someone in a stepping stone job waiting for their real adult jobs to start.