A warning to those who destroyed me, from Richard Bleil
To those who conspired to get me fired. You wanted to see me lose my income, my insurance, and my possessions. You and your allies fabricated lies so my supervisors would see me as a liability and fire me. You wanted to end my career so it would be next to impossible for me to come back. Congratulations, you won. You killed the successful version of myself, leaving behind a man who had no benefits, and almost no income for the past two years. Because of this, I’ve lost practically everything that I owned, my savings, and my means of support. But I have bad news for you. You didn’t kill me after all. While you left me for dead and celebrated your victory, I learned to live without possessions. I learned that I can survive without a significant income. I learned that as nice as benefits are, I can do without them. I learned to rely on my friends, and I learned survival skills. You may have killed who I was, but what you left behind is indestructible.
To those who wanted to destroy my leadership titles. You wanted to be sure that I was no longer your supervisor and besmirch my leadership capabilities to be sure I could never again find a position of authority. You conspired to undermine my authority, making sure that you exaggerated events and stoked fears within the hearts of others that I was supervising leaving only those who agreed with you or lost their inspiration to stand up for me. Congratulations, your political skills overwhelmed my leadership capabilities leaving a man without a title, and without authority. Because of this, you most likely killed the leadership reputation that I was hoping to build. But I have bad news for you. You didn’t kill me completely. While you may have thought that my leadership persona couldn’t be revived, I’ve come to learn that true leaders don’t need positions or titles. The kind of leader I am becoming cannot be injured by your games, and this leader is indestructible.
To those who wanted to destroy my heart. You became romantically involved with me for your own selfish purposes only to leave when I had nothing that you deemed valuable left to take. You betrayed my trust, took my support, possessions and gifts and kicked me out with no concern about what might happen to me. Congratulations. You betrayed my trust, you took wanting you could, and made me believe that you loved me to get what you wanted only to teach me of your treachery when I needed you the most. You laughed because you left my heart withered and dead on the vine of my soul. But I have bad news for you. My heart may have been dormant, but it found the water and the nutrients in needed in my friends. I’ve learned to live without fear of being alone, without love or companionship, without another half, and in so doing, I know how to be happy with myself. Because of you, my heart was revived into a flower that is indestructible.
To those who manipulated me through bullying. You preyed on my weaknesses, pouring salt into the wounds of my spirit to get me to dance to your tune. You found an easy target in me and used it to your advantage. You crushed my spirit and pushed me around until I was used up and no longer of value to you and then you were sure to let me go once I reached that point. You killed my soul with your cruelty and enjoyed your spoils as you did. But I have some bad news for you. Your narcissism may have trampled my spirit, but it wasn’t dead after all. Now it’s come back stronger than ever. Because of you, I’ve learned to stand up to you and those like you, and to stand up for myself. I don’t question my actions anymore. I act decisively to do what is right for me, now, not you. Because of you, today my spirit is indestructible.
So, who are you? Are you friend or foe? If you’re a friend, if you’ve been trampled on an abused, know that you have an ally. You’re not alone, and if I can become indestructible, so can you. You can let them break you and bring you down, but you have an inner strength that they cannot imagine. They’re only the way they are because of their own weaknesses, their own fears, their own self-doubt, their own tiny spirit. You cannot be defeated until you decide that you have been, so don’t be. Get back up. Dust yourself off. Learn your lesson and kick them to the curb.
But, if you are a foe, be forewarned. I am indestructible.
Bleil's Banter 