5 Reasons Why You Should Let Go Of Envy

This is another excellent post by our friend Andrea. In this article, she lists 5 important things that you should remember when you’re feeling envious.

“Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.” – Buddha

There are a number of thoughts and emotions that can interrupt your efforts to raise your vibration and live a happier and more fulfilling life.  Amongst them is envy, or the desire to have something someone else has.  Envy is a common feeling, but left unchecked it can feed on itself and wreak havoc on your relationships, self-esteem and even your own personal accomplishments.   Here are a few thoughts to consider if you are interested in taming the green-eyed monster and releasing envy from your life.

When you find yourself feeling envious, try to remember…

1. You don’t know what this person deals with to have the things they have

Maybe the price they pay for their achievement or trait is a lot higher than what you’d be willing to sacrifice!  

For example, I think it would be awesome to win an Olympic gold medal, but I would hate spending every day training to get there.  Or maybe I’d like to have my friend’s outgoing personality, but I wouldn’t enjoy having to be the constant center of attention she is or having to answer so many phone calls or attending so many events. Perhaps I wish I was younger, but I’ve forgotten it’s hard to not have the stability and wisdom that comes with my age.

The same is true for all admirable traits and achievements.  They come with a price tag.

This doesn’t mean you can’t one day have a similar achievement, but someone else’s traits and successes are specific to their path, and we often forget how much our paths are tailored to our individual wants and needs. Follow your path and you will be led to the things you want in the most suitable way for you. 

2. Other people’s gains often benefit you

For instance, when someone in your town wins the lottery, he or she has a lot more money to spend, and this money filters through your town and boosts the local economy. As another example, if your friend gets a nice new swimming pool at their home, you might be invited over to enjoy it!  One person’s “win” can positively affect lots of people, including you.

3. Even a person who is “on top” still has failures and disappointments

We see this all of the time with celebrities; the brightest stars often have some pretty big skeletons in their closets.  While we’re all busy ooing and ahhing over the money they make, the nice clothes they wear and the fame they enjoy, sometimes they are suffering over serious issues in their personal lives we know nothing about (like abuse, addiction, illness, etc.). 

Remember, when we are feeling envious we are putting another person on a pedestal, and seeing them only through their accomplishments and positive attributes.  However, there is a yin to every yang, and even the most accomplished and admirable individuals have failures and disappointments-just like you and me!

For every reason we find to envy someone, trust there is another reason this person needs our support and understanding, even if we don’t see it.

4. Other people have reasons to envy you!

When we are envious we are usually comparing ourselves to another and feeling inadequate.  However, it’s good to remember there are other people in the world who feel the same way about us.

You might not have the most glamorous job, but maybe you have two beautiful children while someone you know struggles to get pregnant or adopt.  You might not have a million dollars in the bank, but maybe you have a ton of friends, and someone you know is lonely and wishes they had people to hang out with.  We all have things going for us other people wish they had!

Each of us has many positive, admirable traits, achievements and talents other people would love to possess.  Think back on your own blessings in life to gain a little perspective when you’re trying to release envy.

5. When you celebrate others’ accomplishments you attract more good things into your life. 

If you can honestly feel good about the achievements of others, you send a strong positive vibe about achievement and accomplishment, and this draws more good things to you through the Law of Attraction.  In contrast, if you feel envy you push achievement and accomplishment away from you, because envy is a feeling of inadequacy.  When we project a feeling of inadequacy, we attract less things to fulfill us.

It’s normal to feel a little envious from time to time, especially when people get the things we ourselves are reaching for.  However, it’s good to remember envy only really hurts ourselves in the long run, so by focusing on thoughts like those above we can reduce the sting of envy, and start to release it from our lives.

Taming the green-eyed monster can be done, it just takes a little bit of conscious effort to reflect on reasons to be happy and supportive of others (and ourselves!).  With a little time and practice in adjusting our thoughts, seeing the accomplishments and admirable traits of others in positive light can become a standard habit.

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