The Bully

Mid-sentence, a potential content creator for the TV channel she runs held up the “T” sign, changed his energy entirely, then barked: “Time out! Listen here!” Then he proceeded to tell her what she was going to do for him.

Because of our work, she immediately recognized this old familiar boogeyman. “Aha! He’s a bully.” In that moment, she became the woman she’s always hoped she could be.

She was not emotionally triggered. She didn’t cower. She didn’t slip into people-pleasing-mode. She simply stated why what he was demanding may not be able to happen and that her biggest concern was about what is best for the station.

She spoke clearly and decisively. The others at the table, all men, watched and listened to her.

She was truly in control.

I asked her what she would have done prior to our work together. She said, “I would have gotten much more emotional, more confrontational. I would have wondered, ‘Why is he doing this to me?’”

Instead, she thought…”This guy’s making a fool of himself.” And he was.

You know those people that enter your life over and over again, different decade, different face? This was one of those. Since she was tiny, she’s had at least one bully in her life at all times.

The universe does that, it presents us with the same opportunity over and over again until we learn what we’re supposed to learn. When we learn that lesson, those people stop showing up. They’re not needed anymore.

This was likely her last bully. Seems we’ve exorcised that demon.