Dear sossi:

“I’m not sure why I attract negativity from others but I do”- there is a lot of negativity here, there and everywhere, so one attracts what is common and abundant because.. there is so much of it.

“I think I’m prone to being bullied because I don’t speak up”- sometimes that’s the case. At other times you only imagine that you are being bullied: you misinterpret words and actions.

“people are expected to be a little nasty.. jealous or competitive”- it is true to some cultures more than others.

“my nose gets rubbed in other people’s fortune quite a lot”- part of the “a lot” is your incorrect interpretation, I believe (based on communicating with you over time).

“No kids. No man…. people literally don’t notice you anymore and it becomes less of an issue”- maybe because of way greater issues than whether a woman is married and with kids: a global pandemic, coups and autocratic take overs, or the threats of such (such as in the U.S), global warming, increasing droughts, wildfires and storms.

“My mom constantly says I should meet some old guy so I can be taken care of”- what your mother said in the past didn’t work for your advantage, better not consider more of what she says.

I hope that you and your colleague come up with a plan that benefits the two of you. It does sound like your workplace is not a good place to work in.

anita