Mariah's Story: On Presence and Personal Power
How One Black Woman Reclaimed Joy Through Africultural Non-Judging
Embracing Mindfulness Foundations in the Workplace
Meet Mariah, a dedicated, talented, and experienced African-American woman professional working in a bustling corporate office. Despite years of dedication and achievement, Mariah often felt the sting of judgment from some of her colleagues, who made assumptions about her abilities and potential based on her race.
Mariah, a Mindful Peer Support client, shared her story with permission for the launch of MOREofWhatULike.com.
One particularly challenging day, after a team meeting where her ideas were dismissed without consideration, Mariah felt disheartened and frustrated. She knew she was capable and had valuable contributions to make, but the constant judgment and microaggressions were taking a toll on her confidence and joy.
That's when Mariah decided to embrace the principle of Non-Judging. She took a step back and observed the situation without attaching negative emotions to it. Instead of internalizing the judgment from her colleagues, she acknowledged it for what it was, a reflection of their biases and not a measure of her worth or abilities; someone else's shame to carry.
By practicing Non-Judging, Mariah found a sense of freedom and empowerment. She no longer allowed the judgment of others to dictate her self-worth or happiness. Instead, she embraced her strengths and passions, finding joy in the meaningful work she was doing and the positive impact she was making.
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Mariah reminded herself of Ta-Nehisi Coates's words: "The only way to deal with this life meaningfully is to find your passion, then put everything you have into it." She focused on her passion for her work and poured her energy into her projects with renewed determination. Mariah also sought support from like-minded colleagues and mentors who valued her contributions and encouraged her to keep pushing forward.
We can see the interplay of the different attitudinal foundations in the experience of this woman who has dealt with discrimination and prejudice throughout her life. Mariah practiced Letting Go to free herself from the burdens she carried and release herself from the righteous anger and very reasonable resentment associated with these experiences. She still had choice.
This allowed her to free up the energy needed to choose to focus on personal growth, healing and joy. It meant acknowledging the past, learning from it, leaving behind what no longer served her, and moving forward with strength and determination.
The Shift Toward Self-Care
Even as her dedication and enthusiasm grew, Mariah began to feel her energy thinning again. Between family commitments, financial pressures, and the daily drain of navigating workplace dynamics, her momentum started to falter under the constant grind. The spark she had rekindled was at risk of dimming.
This time, she didn't push through. She paused.
Drawing on the attitudinal foundation of Non-Striving, Mariah realized that sustaining her power meant releasing the pressure to constantly prove herself. She didn't need to hustle for worth. She began honoring what her body, spirit, and nervous system were asking for.
She started taking all her breaks, every one. She paced herself deliberately, strolling the perimeter of the building to give her lungs more than recycled air. Instead of isolating, she allowed herself more casual interactions, pausing at a colleague's desk to swap a recipe or share a moment of laughter. These moments were not distractions, they were reminders of her wholeness and the importance of small connections.
On Thursdays, she embraced her company's "Casual Dress" policy by showing up in expressive, comfortable clothes, clothing that reflected her full humanity, not just her role. When an opening arose to become the Workplace Wellness Liaison for her division through the Employee Assistance Program, she stepped into it. Not because it would be seen, but because it mattered.
She began modeling a more complete kind of excellence, one that included natural ease, breath, and rhythm, not just output. Mariah wasn't stepping back, she was stepping into balance. And through that, her power deepened.
Mariah's story moves me to consider the impact that mentoring and supporting people at all life stages has had on my own life. By offering presence, resources, and strengths-based reflection, I have helped shape emerging leaders and community anchors to create a more empowered and united community.
The attitudinal foundation of Generosity also means advocating for policies and practices that promote equity and justice, ensuring that everyone has opportunities to succeed.
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This offering emerges from the original Mindful Soul Practice body of work of Wil Oliver (Transcending). Please honor cultural integrity by citing the source and refraining from sharing or adapting without permission.
The people around her still didn't change. It seemed the systems of industry tend to encourage certain types of unkind behaviors and elevate antagonistic personalities. After all her efforts toward showing up again and again with clarity and care, there were still moments that cut. A teammate once joked that she was "the department's drill sergeant," laughing as if it were praise. It wasn't. Another time, a supervisor told her she "brought intensity to everything," and the tone made it clear: too much, too direct, code for "too Black."
That night, Mariah sat on her porch with tea she didn't finish. No calls. No tears. Just breath. The hurt wasn't unfamiliar, but this time, it came when she had just begun to feel free.
She remembered then that Patience wasn't about waiting in silence. It was about letting the world catch up to the truth she already carried. She didn't explain herself the next day. She didn't soften or strive. She showed up exactly the same.
Let them learn at their own pace, she thought. I already know who I am.
As time went on, Mariah's unwavering commitment and exceptional performance became undeniable with consistency. Most of her colleagues slowly came to recognize and appreciate her contributions, and the judgment she once faced diminished. Mariah's journey of embracing Non-Judging not only helped her navigate the challenges of the workplace but also inspired others to reflect on their own biases and approach each other with more openness and respect. Not everyone was so kind.
Choosing Acceptance and Joy
Even with a greater sense of community and peace, despite receiving praise and developing solid work friendships, Mariah was hyper-focused on those co-workers who remained judgemental and resistant. She still had a greater lesson of deeper truth left to learn. That being, you can't change others. Not through brilliance. Not through kindness. Not even through endurance. Acceptance, for her, meant letting people reveal who they are without needing to intervene or explain. It meant allowing those who meant her no good to be exactly what they were and choosing not to be stuck carrying negativity with them.
What she could shape was herself. Her shield.
So she began each morning with a breath into her body with a rooted spine, a channeling heart, and sharp eyes. Not as a posture of defense, but as a sacred configuration of self-respect. Her shield wasn't made of hardness, it was made of discernment. It protected her from what would deplete her, and attuned her toward what brought restoration.
This shift wasn't loud. It was daily. Quiet. True.
And slowly, joy began to find her again, the kind of joy that holds history and presence simultaneously. Mariah was now actively cultivating joy on her, lunch breaks, in fully sensing the softness of her own clothes, in knowing that she truly had enough, and in honest moments of laughter with people who saw her in whole.
This was clarity, and with that clarity, Mariah found herself returning to what mattered most:
More of what centered her.
More of what healed her.
More of what she liked.
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Share Your Mindfulness Experience
Have you had a moment like Mariah's, where choosing presence over judgment changed your path?
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Let's inspire and support each other on this path to well-being and collective healing.
🖤 If you relate to Mariah’s story, share it. Subscribe above to keep walking together.
This offering emerges from the original Mindful Soul Practice body of work of Wil Oliver (Transcending). Please honor cultural integrity by citing the source and refraining from sharing or adapting without permission.