Be kind, please rewind..

Today I started a new job. While I am so excited about my new adventures, and I definitely think this job is a much better fit (with much better perks) I have to tell you, I'm quite hurt that things ended the way that they did in my old job. I worked as the marketing manager for a certain company we'll call X for several months, and years actually (as I graduated from college I was promoted up). About 4 months ago, things started going sour, and I never could really figure out why, so about 3 months ago, when I started to realize it wasn't going to get better, I started looking for a new job. I would scan Craigslist and Monster for hours on end everyday, begging the Lord for help- and eventually (and timing wise-perfectly) my faith paid off, and the Lord extended his merciful arm yet again and saved me from my personal hell called "my job".

I was so thrilled- I let my boss know well in advance (about a month ago) that I would be leaving and we sat together and made a list of all the things I needed to do before I left. Here's the thing though...even though I finished everything on the list that we agreed upon, she still made my life a living hell for the last two weeks of work. For the last two weeks, no one on the management team (all the people I was supposedly working with) would talk to me. No matter how many emails I sent out, or how many phone calls I made, I was denied responses and return phone calls over and over. People treated me like I had a disease when they were forced to be around me. If they didn't have to be around me, they avoided me at all costs. And even though I finally got the H out of there, I still feel a ton of anxiety. I can't even tell you the last time I've left a job not on good terms. I'm not a bridge burner typically...I always leave saying things like, "If you need anything, feel free to call", or "let me know what I can do to help you out." If I was the boss, I would've probably sent out an email saying something like, "Thanks for everything you've contributed, good luck in the future; let me know how things are going", just because I like to leave things on good terms. Even if I didn't care much for the individual! Notice that in my short blurb, there was no "come back to work for me anytime" or even, "if you need another reference, feel free to put me down". No, but it's still a short smooth over. I sent her about 10 emails, saying thank you again and again for all the of experience and opportunities she gave me, hoping to provoke any type of reaction such as, "you're welcome, good luck", and yet- no response. Because there wasn't even a "smell you later", I feel really burned...even though I was the one that chose to leave. I'm so bothered by this whole thing...which only serves to reinforce in me the desire to be kind to others.

I don't have a huge pedestal to climb tonight- I just want to say...be kind, even to those you don't like. I seriously don't know what I did that was so offensive to my boss; but whatever I did, I did it in ignorance. I would never try to tick off the boss! So many times we offend others accidentally- as the person that's offended sometimes this is hard to remember, esp in the moment. But usually most of us don't do it on purpose. So cut someone a break! Remember how humbling it can be when someone else extends some mercy or kindness to you when you don't always deserve it??? Whether you are too nice, or not nice enough, your attitude and actions towards others goes a long way. Remember that and be kind to someone today. (Like the rhyme, eh???)

Word.

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