Dear Reader,
Has the weather been wildly weird for you lately? Because around here we've had days that were 77 degrees followed two days later by snow! It's messed with my chronic pain levels and my allergies. I'm ready for more nice days pretty please!
This week, I finally was able to close a not-great time in my life. Such a relief. To sum it up briefly - I, along with several of my former co-workers, filed a lawsuit against a former employee and the agency back in 2020-21.
It was a very long, slow process. And just this week, the lawsuit was closed via a closed settlement. Along the way i told my story and it was published in a book, and I began to heal.
Therefore, nearly a year ago I opted to withdraw from the lawsuit altogether. What that means is that I did not settle. Why? Because I did not want to sign an NDA. I would rather keep my voice than take some inadequate amount of settlement money or whatever....no matter how much I could use the money.
Regarless of any outcome, I am content knowng that my story was told, I retain all of my rights and my voice.
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As I move on from this saga, there are a few lessons I'd like to share with you. Especially if you are queer, neurodivergent, disabled, etc. etc. etc.
- Don't suffer alone. If someone is treating you poorly at work, tell a co-worker, tell a boss, tell someone. One of the reasons things got as bad as they did for us was because we all though it was only happening to us. We were far more apt to stand up for each other than we were for ourselves. And honestly - it's never just you.
- Document everything. In duplicate if possible.
- Make sure you know and understand your company's whistle blower policy.
- Don't work for free - even if you work for a small non profit that does good work. If you are volunteering - that's great. But don't work for free - meaning don't work through your lunch. Don't work any unpaid time. Work at work. Volunteer somewhere else. Your mental health may depend on it.
- Don't let your entire identity be defined by your job - especially if you aren't your own boss. Jobs change, bosses change - YOU change.
- If you ever do have to hire an attorney, hire one that actually LISTENS to what you are saying - it might save a year of time.
That brings this chapter of my life - I'm glad that it's over.
New Blog - What If "Falling Behind" Isn't The Emergency We Think It Is?
Let's chat a minute about "falling behind."
That phrase carries a LOT.
It shows up in notes from teachers, sneaks into parent teacher conferences, and lives in the back of our minds when our kids' assignments pile up or their grades take a dip.
Somehow, that stopped being information or data, it started feeling like an urgent emergency.
It started telling us something is very wrong and we better fix it fast.
If we don't, everything will fall apart. We go to worst case scenarios.
Butwhat if falling behind isn't actually the crisis that we've been taught that it is?
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This Week's Quick Tip(s) - Some Things You May Need To UNlearnAbout Belonging
π»That you have to shrink to belong
π»That belonging means fitting in
π»That you need to be quiet to keep the peace
π»That you are too much, too different, etc. to belong
π»That you need permission to take up space.
What else might you be unlearning?
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Gentle Check-In
What would happen if you trusted yourself just a little more?
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What's Kat Up To?
That's it for today, friend. I hope that you have a wonderful weekend, and don't forget to do something JUST for you.
If you like my content, my newsletters, blogs, free community, etc. - and want to support them, here's an easy way to do it!
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Find Me Where Ever You Are!
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