The affects of a positive work environment on the soul

After months of being told by my former employer that I'm 'not good enough' - which slowly eats away at your confidence even when you know they have it all wrong - today I enjoyed a really pleasant working today being appreciated and praised.

An old friend who runs his own business and I ran into each other after many years of lost contact and within a few minutes my friend was asking if I had any spare time to help him out in relation to his business paperwork which had become 'umm, sort of back-logged' and now had reached 'desperation point'.  He told me he wouldn't be able to pay me much - if at all - but once it was all sorted out, there was potential for me to gain paid work down the track if I was interested.  Already starting to get a bit bored and isolated while I look for work and complete my qualification upgrade, I figured there was no harm in doing something for someone else.

So I started doing the paperwork for him whenever I am free, and today, after making quite a significant dent I was pleased to be thanked, appreciated and praised for simply doing something that I enjoy and am good at.

It made me realise that it is not your employer who determines whether the working environment is positive, neutral or negative; it is the people who work alongside who make the impact.

For months I've been working alongside grouchy, fed-up, tired and overworked colleagues, who grumble and complain - and dare I say it, bitch - about everything - colleagues, the company, the industry - to make sure everyone else within the workplace ends up feeling the same way, creating a toxic workplace. No matter how hard you try to 'rise above it' or make changes for the better, without even knowing it you become one of them; and what you once enjoyed is soon no longer satisfying, and it is hard to get out of bed each morning and find the drive and motivation to return.

So it has been a very pleasurable day today not being under extreme pressure, working alongside happy, positive, enthusiastic and inspired co-workers.  Today is a day for me to stop and appreciate that my decision to leave that toxic workplace was the best decision I have made in a long time - although I wish I had of found the courage to do this sooner.

Feeling happy and content with life right now.

Char