"Is This Job Right for Me or Am I a Threat to Someone Else's Job?"

 

Dear Readers,

As the door to yet another new office opened, I felt a familiar mix of hope and unease. The welcome was polite, but the smiles didn’t quite reach their eyes. I had been through this before in different places, with different people, but always the same end. I believed in mutual respect and equality. My work ethic was rooted in integrity and the idea that no one is above another. But time and again, I found myself feeling like an outsider or in other better words AN OUTCAST...

Every time I joined a new job, it would start well enough. I'd contribute my ideas, offer my skills, and work hard, but it was almost like a silent alarm would go off. Colleagues would gradually begin to outcast me. It wasn’t over no harsh words or clear threats, but small things. Ignored invitations, cold stares during meetings whispered conversations just out of earshot. It wasn’t long before someone would subtly suggest that I knew "too much," and that I might be aiming to take someone else's position.

I couldn't understand it. I wasn’t there to threaten anyone. My goal was to add value, to grow alongside others, not to outshine or replace them. I saw everyone as equal, deserving of the same level of respect. But others didn’t see it that way. I was labelled a threat, and those labels became chains chains that pulled me down, isolated me, and eventually pushed me out.

And so, it went on job after job. Each time, I'd enter with enthusiasm, and each time, I'd leave feeling defeated. My current situation forced me to leave again, but this time it felt different. This time, the sting was sharper. I knew I hadn’t done anything wrong, yet I was treated like an outsider simply for being myself, and for trying to contribute more.

Is this job right for me, or am I just destined to be seen as a threat wherever I go? The thought lingered as I packed my things, feeling like I was leaving behind not just a job, but a part of myself that wanted to believe in fair treatment and credibility. Respect and equality are not just words to me; they are principles I live by. But it seems these principles have set me apart—set me against those who don’t see it that way.

As I walked out, I promised myself one thing I would not let this break my spirit. I would continue to believe that everyone is equal and that no one is superior or inferior. I would hold on to my respect for others, even if it meant walking away from places that didn’t respect me. Because one day, I hoped, I would find a place where my belief in equality wasn’t seen as a threat but as an asset.

God Bless You All...

Jacob M