It’s not who you are that holds you back,  it’s who you think you’re not.       unknown

If there is someone you feel jealous of right now, chances are it’s because you know, in your heart of hearts,  you could be and do, what they are being and doing.  Maybe it makes you mad/sad that they seemed to have figured out HOW and you feel like you have no clue.  It may feel like the perfect time to list all the reasons why you aren’t, why you don’t,  why you can’t …….do or be, like them. That rush to what seems like rational thinking, still doesn’t fool most of us. It’s easy to think others have some advantages we don’t have…..but come on….we also know, in our heart of hearts, when we are comparing, we are automatically making ourselves smaller, even if it looks like we are finding fault with them.  We are really just taking ourselves out of the race. 

Jealousy, when we feel it, can also be a great megaphone.  It is always a very strong feeling—-one that we absolutely cannot ignore.  What if we could chose to direct it’s outcome in a positive way?  That voice, in my inner ear, is really telling me to STEP UP—–the person we are comparing ourselves to is just ahead of us on the journey.  If we looked at jealousy as a call to action within ourselves, then we would not have to feel even more negative feelings for being jealous in the first place.  With that kind of strong energy, redirected, we could challenge ourselves to embrace this person in some way and end up with a mentor who just might show us what they have learned!

Most of us don’t feel jealousy for someone whose voice packs a concert or whose athletic ability and determination takes them to the Olympics. But we have a keen sense for who is just like us…….who seem, in so many ways, to trump whatever it is we would like to have or be for ourselves.

Maybe today is a new day for those feelings of less than…….of  jealousy…….as a crippler and a compare-er.  Could jealousy become your propeller, instead?