Living Inside Out...Bullying

Bullying… I remember having a restrained viewpoint of bullying, until I managed a couple of employees that brought to their annual reviews concerns about a fellow teammate being a bully as by the definition; a blustering, mean, or predatory person who, from a perceived position of relative power, intimidates, abuses, harasses, or coerces people. Of course, this was not ok for the culture, and I did my best to shift the ‘power’ back to these individuals, away from a focus on the ‘bully’. I believe success was achieved, only to find myself surprisingly identifying the same about the Board and hired Advisor. I was being bullied and they strategically, attempted to accuse me, crazy! 

I find myself continually embracing the idea to reimagine the possibilities of 'living inside out, in an outside in world'.
 
Bullying - outside in… Give in to the intimidations. Question oneself and allow confidence to be shaken. Become polarized or a follower in acting and speaking up.  
 
Bullying - inside out… Recognizing it is not personal, but a reflection of the Bully and their insecurities, need to assert control. Reclaim personal power by affirming what are the realities. Demonstrate inner strength, belief in oneself. The ‘act’ of bullying can occur, but to internalize the bullying is a 'choice'.

Sadly, no way around it, there is an awful lot of ‘bullying’ going on – how is it showing up in your life, relationships and or work? Can you determine what is outside in thinking and the possibility for inside out perspectives? Please share! 
 
How are you living - your truest inner being, obsessing over external narratives/approvals/belonging, anywhere on the spectrum in between, OR? How much do you know, want to understand your own story and the way it shows up, serves you in life, family, career?  It feels like the unpacking for me has been going on for decades, perhaps most influentially the past 5+years.  May I support you, wherever you are at, to consider what might be in your baggage? To intentionally cross the door's threshold?  Is it time to purposefully live OUR STORIES, 'inside out'?

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