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Envy…and her close, white-trash, uglier than sin cousin jealousy…
A long time ago, I made a decision to eliminate both from my life. They’re completely counter-productive and never lead to anything good.
And it’s hard…when someone else gets a promotion you think you deserved…when someone gets into a great school, but you know you had better test scores…when friends have the time and money to go on that trip of a lifetime, but you don’t! Opportunities to be envious and jealous pop up every single day, and it’s annoying. They put you in a foul mood, suddenly you have this pathetic victim mentality…and you stop appreciating what you DO have.
Now…I’m not trying to be Captain Southern Baptist and get all preachy on you – but I’ve been around a lot of younger people over the past year, who haven’t necessarily had the life experience to make the decision I made when I was their age – to stop wasting my time with envy and jealousy.
The truth is…you CHOOSE to feel jealous; you CHOOSE to envy someone.
The directive I gave myself was to CHOOSE…to just be happy for people. (Even if I judgmentally knew that person was the equivalent of pond-scum, who probably stole candy from children and poisoned his grandparents for his good fortune).
Just CHOOSE – to be happy for others…and continue on your own journey. If that person for which you are now (HAPPY) instead of (JEALOUS) is enjoying or experiencing something YOU would like to experience or enjoy – continue to aspire toward it. You’ll get there in time, too – if you really want it.
Not to mention – there are reasons behind the popular sayings: “Be careful what you wish for” and “A blessing in disguise.” It could be that an amazing opportunity you didn’t get, is actually a turd-sandwich in disguise. You don’t know – just be happy for the guy who got it.
‘Cause then – you’re done. No stewing, no feeling like a victim, no bad attitude – you can move on with your life, working toward the opportunities and experiences found in your bucket o’ goals.
Envy, jealousy and people who regularly emit these negative emotions – BORE ME TO TEARS. Be engaging, supportive, positive and motivated…you’ll be more interesting to other people – it’ll lead to more opportunity…but most importantly, it’ll give YOU some peace of mind.
