How to Turn Jealousy Into a Positive

“To be jealous of money is to be uninspired.” –from  novel  the The Darlings by Cristina Alger

Maybe it is the trip you hear about that your neighbors are taking and you dream of being able to travel as they do, or maybe you love the freedom your  sister-in-law has that allows her to live the life of her dreams, or better yet, maybe you become frustrated when you see others around you seeming to enjoy life to its fullest and you wish you could do the same, but feel it just isn’t possible.

What I challenge you to do today is whenever you find yourself lusting after or becoming defensive about the life someone else has, turn it into a positive and let these feelings guide you to realize what you truly want from your life. Maybe it isn’t the designer clothes the celebrities wear that cause you to shake your head, but instead the ability to design your own life, in other words having the means to have extra money to do with as you please. Maybe it isn’t the fact your colleague’s ingratiating that actually bugs you, but instead that she has the ear of your boss. And maybe it isn’t being single (or being married) that you dream of, but instead a life that allows you to live up to your full potential (or feel sincere love from someone who has placed you as a priority in their life) that you crave.

Life speaks to each of us continually; however we often dismiss it, are tone deaf or aren’t able to interpret what it really means because we haven’t taken the time to slow down enough to grasp who we are, what fulfills us and learn what we are capable of achieving.

Take jealousy or envy for example. Sometimes what initially on the surface appears as something horrible and a sign of insecurity can quickly be turned on its head to reveal what you fear you could never attain, but indeed wish to bring into your life. The fact of the matter is, when you are following what you are passionate about, have enough self-confidence to know you can handle anything that comes your way and have chosen to look fear in the face and work for what you want, there is nothing to be jealous of.

You may appreciate what others have done or have acquired, but once you have realized what your life needs to look like in order for you to be fulfilled and struck a balance with just enough challenges and successes to know you are continually heading in the right direction, then it won’t matter what others have because you will know deep in your core that you are taking steps to create the life that you have dreamed of. You will also know you have the gumption, the strength and the stick-to-it-iveness to make it happen and that in good time it will.