Bloom Where You Are Planted

The workplace is where we spend the majority of our day. In a utopia, it should be a place where our goals are nurtured, and our dreams and aspirations can be actualized. A place we look forward to disembarking and climbing the golden stairwell of success and prosperity based on hard work and merit. The harsh reality is that the workplace is more often a dystopian reality akin to The Hunger Games or A Series of Unfortunate Events, full of multitudinous obstacles we must learn to traverse, while navigating the treacherous terrain of toxic people, and micromanaging bosses on the daily. It is in the attempt to gain equal footing on the mud slopes of disparagement, marginalization, and bias that we can find a glimmer of hope in an otherwise dysfunctional environment. Let’s examine how to truly bloom where we are planted midst of three obstacles common for professional women of color.

#1: Lack of Opportunity for Advancement

With the obtaining of a post-secondary education, we women walk confidently into the work arena poised and ready for success and advancement. We know who we are and what we bring to the table, only to find ourselves hitting a wall and not being allowed on the other side of it, where all the opportunity for advancement lies. Some have attempted to overcome this obstacle through obtaining further graduate degrees, which is the most popular solution. Getting Master’s and Doctorate level degrees can get your foot in the door and may eventually gain you a seat at the table, but it can come with a high price. Student loans being the highest price. Unfortunately, the amount most of us spend on advanced degrees usually does not equate to the raise we receive if promoted. A long-term solution can be realized by parlaying those educational accolades into setting up secondary and tertiary streams of income. Developing an entrepreneurial mindset is the key to setting your own bar and maximizing your gifts and talents. Developing horizontal streams (money you make while sleeping) and vertical streams (money you make while sitting down) of income is quintessential to creating your own windows of opportunity and blooming in the midst of an opportunity drought.

#2: Staying Motivated

Staying motivated day in and day out to show up and put forth our best effort and skill on a job begins with the way we start our morning. Is your morning ritual one where you push the snooze button continuously on your phone until the last possible minute, or walk around aimlessly in a zombie-fide state searching for clothes and that utilitarian black bra, and for matching socks and shoes, or keys that you’ve misplaced? Try resetting your intentions first thing in the morning instead of your alarm. Take 5-15 minutes to meditate, using visualization techniques to see yourself accomplishing your short- and long-term goals, checking off the items on your To-Do-List, and making meaningful connections at work. You are the master of your own destiny and need to understand that on a cellular level every day. Blooming where you are planted is about using all of the resources -both internal and external- at our disposal. Focus on creating a welcoming work space for yourself. Personalizing your office, cubicle, or classroom makes a world of difference. Your work space, even if it’s your car or a corner of your home, should be inviting and warm. Fill it with flowers, music, aroma therapy, or inspirational artwork and quotes. Pictures of family remind us why we do and endure what we do. Use these resources to keep yourself in a positive frame of mind, avoiding anything that is disruptive or negative in your space.

#3: Being Overworked and Undervalued

I can relate to the multitudes of women who have served as mules, camels, bison, and any other work animal you can think of on the job. I know it’s tough to accept, but this is the state many of us find ourselves in in our places of employment. We accept more and more responsibility, stay on the job later and later, or come earlier just to keep up with all of the work we’ve been gifted and volun-told to do. We do so in the hopes we will be seen as a team player and therefore will have earned that raise or promotion that was worth our not spending valuable and fleeting time with our real team, our family. The moral to this unfortunate story is that nothing can bloom without the proper balance of sunlight, water, and fertilization. Getting to work while it’s still dark outside and leaving when it is dark once again is out of balance and does not serve as a nourishing ecosystem for success. In order to bloom, you have to incorporate a balance of work and breaks; to include but not limited to, time in the fresh air, a moment to walk around and get a lay of the land and commune with the others. For every hour of work, take at least 5 minutes to stop and have a non-work pause. By doing so, you will begin to gain a better appreciation for all you do. When you work hard remember to break hard or risk breaking down altogether. After work, take me time before we time to process the day and get in a good head space to enjoy family time. Settling your mind, body, and spirit is the most important aspect of freeing yourself of any toxic or negative energy that may have attempted to follow you home. No matter the obstacles you face on the workforce, intentional implementation of a few simple techniques will allow you to bloom to the fullest, ANYWHERE you are planted.

#professionaldevelopment #personaldevelopment #health #wellness #education #career #goals

Cynthia Prince