Ask Dali Mama

DEAR DALI MAMA:

I can’t stand one of my co-workers. She is so annoying. Her cubicle is next to mine and there’s no getting away from her. She goes on and on and talks to me while I’m trying to work. Now, even when she does nothing, I’m still annoyed. What am I to do?

—Annoyed in Cubicle Land, Corporate America (United States)

DEAR ANNOYED:

At some point in our lives, we all have at least one person that really annoys us. While sometimes we may want to scream and run away from them, this person can also be one of your greatest teachers.

Because one of the things that annoys you is your co-worker talking endlessly to you while you’re trying to work, perhaps you two have a soul agreement where she is giving you an opportunity to strengthen energetic boundaries and practice stating your needs clearly. So give her spirit a heartfelt thank you for the opportunity to learn this important lesson and the next time she rambles on at work,  you could say, for example, “Excuse me. I need to get back to work,” and simply turn back towards your desk. Perhaps saying this kindly but firmly will be an opportunity for her to learn to read and respect other people’s needs as well. If she doesn’t learn from this, I’m sure she will have other opportunities to learn this lesson in even clearer ways. Ha ha.

Good luck with this. Learning how to set healthy boundaries for your time and your energy will be an asset that will serve you in all areas of your life!