I woke up after my coworker was praised
The night she came back from celebrating her coworker’s success, Jian woke before dawn.
The night she celebrated her coworker’s success, Jian woke before dawn and couldn’t get back to sleep. In front of her counselor, she brings up the words she swallowed that day.
At work, everyone gathers to praise a coworker’s success. Jian hears him describe work they did together as if he’d done it alone, but she only congratulates him. After waking before dawn and being unable to fall back asleep, Jian talks it over with her counselor, Dalbit. The counselor asks about the words she swallowed, but Jian still can’t bring herself to finish them.
When a coworker’s success makes you feel small
When someone else’s success catches your eye, it can feel as if your own contribution has shrunk too. Taking a moment to separate the two may help you see what you did that day.
When a coworker’s success left you feeling conflicted, what scene comes to mind first?
The night she came back from celebrating her coworker’s presentation, she couldn’t fall back asleep after waking before dawn. While their work together was being called his achievement alone, she couldn’t speak up for her own part, and the feeling seemed to follow her into the night. If you’re carrying a similar moment, you can start by sharing the words you swallowed then.
Scenes
- 01 · The congratulations came first The congratulations came first — Pointing to the presentation slides, Minho says he prepared the whole thing by himself. Seated across from him, Jian claps. Jian: Congratulations. Minho: I handled this presentation from start to finish.
- 02 · The screen lit up again The screen lit up again — After waking before dawn, Jian can’t fall back asleep. She turns on her phone, looks only at the lock screen, then turns it off again.
- 03 · The words she swallowed stayed with her The words she swallowed stayed with her — Jian says that when her coworker spoke as if he’d done the work alone, she only congratulated him. Dalbit: Along with the congratulations, was there something else you wanted to say but couldn’t? Jian: I wanted to say we worked on it together.
- 04 · The words she couldn’t finish The words she couldn’t finish — Jian says they worked on it together, then presses her lips shut again. Dalbit: Jian, what did you notice in your body when you started to say that and stopped?
Stories by Dalbit
- Dalbit
- After hearing about my friend, my own day feels small.
- Even in the salon mirror, the silence between me and my husband follows me.
- Folding laundry, I start worrying about my child again
- In the family chat, it’s always Mom who speaks
- When the elevator doors close, I want a moment alone.
- After I take a photo, I only look for my old face.
- Friday evening, feeling low for no reason
- When I see my reflection in the subway window, I have even less to say to my husband.