“They wanna see you do good, but not better than them. Remember that.” ~ Unknown

Grammatically, this quote fails at every turn, but in truth, it packs a might big punch. There are two ways to view the meaning of this quote about envy—when someone is envious of you, but also when you are envious of someone else. From the former perspective, we stand up tall and confidently say things like, “They’re just jealous.” But from the latter perspective, when we subconsciously think unfortunate thoughts like, “but not better than me,” it gets a little icky feeling. That is certainly not anything we would be proud of, right? Sadly, it’s often human nature to feel that way, but we can change that!

Here is another quote that doesn’t leave anyone feeling disappointed in themselves:

“I cheer for people. I was raised to believe there is enough sun for everybody!” ~ Unknown.

No one wants to feel envious; it doesn’t feel good. Envy is about feeling inferior, frightened, and threatened—so how do we reverse that? How can we cheer for everybody? Wouldn’t the world be a much nicer place if we did?

Here are 3 simple ways to rid ourselves of the poison we created with envy. Start with self-awareness. Are you envious? Be kind and forgiving of yourself. What within you feels threatened. Give it some deep thought. Step 2 is to stop creating poisonous comparisons. Success and happiness should be defined in your own terms, not compared to others. And Step 3 is to emulate those that have what you want, but do not come from a place of hate or resentment. Look at them as a source of inspiration. Ultimately, we can decide to forego envy and jealousy for a more positive and healthy outlook. Or we can drink the poison we created. It’s our choice.

With Gratitude,

Beth