Jealousy

Envy is not a good quality to have. Rather than being happy for your friends and family in their accomplishments and good fortune, you find yourself wishing you had the same opportunity. Envy destroys relationships because it takes but never gives anything in return. Envy has become a popular enemy in our society because our culture leads us to believe we have to compare ourselves to our peers.

There are many terms out there for envy. Green with envy and the green eyed monster are very common. In most religions envy is one of the biggest sins a person can commit. Envy consumes you because it puts the focus on the accomplishments of others rather than allowing you to take pride in your own accomplishments. Envy is often confused with jealousy. This is understandable as both are very similar in results. The difference is jealousy often involves feelings of anger and hate while envy doesn’t.

Changing your outlook and perception of life is necessary to eliminate the effects of envy. This can be a difficult feat, especially if you have been struggling with the issue of envy for a large portion of your life. It is important to be able to identify where the concept of envy started for you as well as why it is so relevant in your life. Discussing this with a Religious figure or a counselor can help tremendously. They are not going to judge you, rather offer you tools to help remedy the situation you find yourself in.

It is important to find positive things in your life that you have accomplished and that you can be thankful for. Ironically, you will be surprised to find that there are likely others who are envious of you and your accomplishments! Once you are satisfied with your own place in life you will have a better ability to genuinely be happy for the accomplishments of others.

Once you start letting go of those feelings of envy, you will feel a huge weight lifted. You will be able to enjoy your friends and family more than before. You will also start giving yourself the praise you deserve for your own accomplishments. It can be hard to change our behaviors, especially those that we acquired as children. However, it is possible and it will benefit you. The choice is yours to spend your life overshadowed by feelings of envy or to accept how things are and find good in yourself.