I have to admit that for me, it’s a strange concept to think of adult bullying, especially in the workplace. One would think there would be too much work to allow for that sort of nonsense. Apparently not. This podcast interview was therefore very enlightening. Vivinne talks about how she had to make the choice between saving her sanity or keep working in a toxic environment and how she turned things around on this latest podcast interview.
FROM STRESSFUL TO HAPPY AND BLISSFUL LIFE :
I think the fact that l have rarely had to face bullying in my life has been a blessing. I am usually mild-mannered, but can, and will switch at the drop of a heart if provoked and you can bet your sweet patootie on my retaliation. l am thankful that l got that particular trait from my mother who never, ever turned the other cheek. My father did enough of that for both of them :-).
Vivinne was a professor with tenure which meant that she was granted permanent employment at the university and protected from being terminated without cause. You may or may not know that U.S. employment is “at-will”, meaning they don’t have to give you a reason for firing you.
You can then imagine how terrible her working environment must have been to finally for her to take the drastic step of quitting and trying to make a go at a different career after all she did to get where she was. It was obvious that the scars ran deep from our conversation.
Some highlights of the stressful to happy and blissful life podcast:
- Her job as a university professor.
- Gender-based bullying at work.
- Leaving academia at the height of the recession.
- Being diagnosed with PTSD and realizing one doesn’t have to have been in combat.
- Discovering yoga as a teenager.
- How yoga got her past the depression.
- Teaching others to recognize and change their lives with meditation.
- Energy centers and what Chakra is.
- Finding zen.
- Her dreams of travel and manifestation.
Listen to the podcast here:
Where to find Vivinne Williams:
Other podcasts of interest:
Vivinne has been featured in many magazines, such as Essence and Self. She is also an award winner. It was really great talking to her and l am so glad she has found her bliss. It’s always great when l see people who have the courage to change their lives for the better. Be it to a new carrier, job, city. Whatever. Ultimately happiness should be the goal for all.
Often, it just seems easier to stay with the old and familiar, no matter how horrible the situation. An old co-worker friend recently got in touch with me after all these years and admitted to being stressed from being bullied at work.
She actually said that her getting covid was in a way a relief because it gave her time away from work and the two bit***s. I find it very sad that more often than not, it’s women pulling other women down. What is up with that?
I’m sorry, but my advice to her was to go for the jugular. With a smile of course. Then l told her to think about making a change. She is also a pharmacist and in that profession, it’s more about knowing your worth, and demanding respect from others, men, women, boss…whomever. Turning the other cheek doesn’t work.
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I encourage anyone who is stressed, and let’s face it, in this day and age, it’s almost a given to check out Vivinne’s channel videos for stress relief, and become one of her goddesses. Self-care has become a big thing lately, and for good reason. The world is fast becoming an ugly place, and it’s nice to have a bit of safe haven in the trying times.
Have you ever been bullied at work or anywhere else? Do you turn the other cheek, or are you more like me… who goes for the kill?
I’ve worked a few jobs where there was bullying of some sort going on. I worked for a company where there was a supervisor in another department who was nasty to everyone. Unfortunately after my department became obsolete I got transferred into the department she worked in for the last 2 years I was there. And yes I got bullied. Did I get bullied more or less than anyone else? I can’t say, but I reported her many times to the HR manager and nothing was ever done. She was even nasty with a lot of vendors our company dealt with. No one knew how she was getting away with all this. Had dirt on someone further up the food chain? I was in a car accident in 2008 and off work for a short time with a gradual return and a few months after I returned to work my doctor put me on stress leave. He did caution me that his experience was when people go on stress leave they are almost always let go from the company on returning to work. I was good with that. After a few weeks and being back on pain meds again, I was feeling good. I returned to work around Christmas and within a week thanks to her I was not doing good again – back pain and stress. Everything undone. But I was sure they were going to lay me off with a package so I hung in there. After 3 months I was making plans to quit. I had 2 weeks holiday coming up and I didn’t plan to return. I got tired of waiting for them to lay me off and complaints to HR were going nowhere as usual. Two days before the weekend, they laid me off with a huge pay out package. So that was perfect. It also meant I could apply for employment insurance which I might not have been able to get if I quit. Though the record of bullying and stress leave might have made me eligible. Canada also at will for letting people go for any reason – terminated without cause. The only thing I was annoyed about was they waited till the end of my shift to tell me so they could get another day out of me. Why couldn’t they tell me at the beginning of the day like they did with another admin assistant a few months earlier? I was like the 4th person out of that department in about a 9 month period, out of only about 10 staff, so I was pretty sure I was next in line to be packaged out. I heard from former employees about a year later the bully finally got axed.
Wow! That must have been a horrible situation for you. I don’t understand why companies put up with such toxicity, especially when i’s from just one person in the whole department. Must be because they only care about numbers and such. I guess my friend feels the same way with her job. Even after coming back, she is already stressed out as you must have been then too. Lucky though that you were able to get the big package. That must have felt good, and being able to collect unemployment was a good thing. I see the other side in Italy for instance where most jobs are guaranteed. It causes laziness and it’s hard for people to get hired, save for the deaths of the old guards, there is nothing and so most young people move away for better lives. There is no easy solution.
Glad they finally got rid of her. It’s always amazing to me that women are the worst, especially with other women. Insane! :-(.