I have recently quit a part-time job that was engaging and interesting, but that required me to accept a toxic environment. I truly enjoyed what I was learning and being able to contribute as a service to the company as well as its clients. But when I discovered the building had partially unmitigated asbestos in its old and somewhat cracked tile flooring, after some studying up on the subject online I knew I could not continue to work at that site. I had recently vacuumed and the broken vacuum had spewed a cloud of dust into my face, before I had learned of the asbestos.
So I explained that I could not work in that environment. For a few weeks I tried to to see if perhaps there was a way I could do the work from home, while also teaching the role to the second in command at my home. Ultimately I realized it it was not ideal for the company or for myself to try to conduct that role remotely.
So I finally uttered the words, “I quit.” Immediately I felt the relief that comes with a positive, self-affirming decision, bringing—yes—a better ending to an unbalanced situation. It has felt very liberating and creatively productive to return to my more unscheduled life, with no more clocking in and out on company time schedules.
Better endings, remember, are not always happier ones, but when they bring clarity and closure to an unstable or lingering situation, they can lead to New Beginnings!
Better Endings Story Seed: Toxic Conditions?
Have you had the experience of being able to free yourself from a toxic situation? Or, are you currently engaged in a situation with toxic elements to it? Journal about how you found your way free from a toxic situation from the past, or about the toxic elements you have been dealing with. In what ways might the principle of Better Endings potentially relate to your experiences?
Better Endings 