Leaving the table

“Have the courage to leave the table when respect leaves the room”

Imagine you are sitting in a restaurant, waiting for your order, but the waiter walks past you time and time again. You try to get attention, but it seems as if you are invisible. This scenario is not only frustrating in a restaurant, but also a striking metaphor for situations in life where respect is lacking. It is a sign that it might be time to leave the table.

The first indicator that it is time to get up is when you notice that you are not being heard. You share your thoughts and ideas, but it is as if you are talking to a brick wall. In a team meeting, for example, where your input is consistently ignored, it is just like sitting in that restaurant where the waiter does not even give you a glance.

A second signal is the lack of appreciation. You work hard, do your best, but your efforts are never acknowledged. It is as if you are a ghost in a house, present, but invisible and unappreciated. This can happen in both professional relationships and personal interactions, and it feels as if you are constantly standing in a shadow.

Finally, if you do not feel comfortable in the environment where you are, this is a clear indication that it is time to leave. If you spend more time worrying about how you are treated than actually being productive, then you are in a situation comparable to sitting on a chair full of nails, painful and untenable.

The decision to leave the table does not mean that you are giving up, but that you are choosing an environment where you get the respect you deserve. It is a sign of strength, self-respect and self-love. Because ultimately, if you do not stand up for yourself, who will? So leave that disrespectful table and find a place where you are welcome, appreciated, and above all, respected. There is surely a table somewhere where not only the respect, but also the steak is just right.

By Karl Mortier