I think jealousy and resentment go hand in hand because first we experience jealousy, and usually it’s followed by a bit of resentment toward the person we are jealous of. Or resentment towards the life we’ve been dealt. Sometimes we want to blame others or blame our circumstances for not having everything we desire to have.
Junior high and high school is when I can remember experiencing the most jealousy.
Over the years I’ve learned how to manage my thoughts enough to work my way out of the emotion when ever it comes up. And believe me, it still comes up.
There was a time when I even had to limit the time I spent on social media because I noticed that I was always left with feelings of jealousy. Seeing pictures of other people attending an awesome party that I wasn’t invited to or noticing how influential another blogger is and wondering why I’m not gaining the same amount of traction.
Social media is a blessing and a curse. The answer is not to abandon social media all together, maybe it’s necessary for a time, but ultimately I think the answer is to learn the lesson. How can we overcome our envious nature? How can we stay in a place of peace and love for everyone? That is the big question. I’ve found plenty of tips and advice on the matter but I tell yah, it’s no easy task.
It’s human nature to want what others have. We recognize it in our own children as early as age two. They are happily playing with a particular toy until brother walks in with a different toy. Suddenly they must have THAT toy!!! The one they have just doesn’t seem as cool anymore. The psychology around it is that when someone else has something, it only SEEMS to be better than what we have because we don’t have it. The grass always seems greener until we get there and we realize it’s really not greener, just LOOKS greener from a distance.
I feel this happens to me a lot in business and blogging. I have big goals and constantly striving to reach new heights. But there is always someone that has achieved more, or seems to be doing it better than me.
“In the hopes of reaching the moon men fail to see the flowers that blossom at their feet.”
~Albert Schweitzer
In this episode I mention a YouTube video I made sharing my story, geared towards teenage girls. Check it out HERE.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | RSS
Leave a Reply