Envy is a very regrettable and uncomfortable state to experience. Although it is usually a temporary condition, it has a potential to take over our feelings or thoughts and give us lasting problems that interfere with our mental health and fitness.
Envy in itself as jealousy is a sterile or unproductive state of mind and feeling, whether it is directed towards external situations, possessions or to people.
Other than demonstrating that we admire something or someone for what they represent, it is pointless to desire anything that has not been earned by ourselves. We tend to develop the bad habit of envy, nevertheless. How often we say ‘I wish I were like him (or her)’ or “I wish I had …..” Usually we can accept that whatever we desire to achieve materially or in character or skills, we are free to gain and possess through hard work, enterprise and patience in acquiring the means. Of course this holds providing that we choose goals where we have some reasonable expectation of success and are prepared to convert wishing into working.
Although most of our remarks and passing feelings of envy may be just felt in casual thoughtless moments when we let a sense of unfairness enter into our mood. For instance, we may judge someone as not deserving as we are or may desire to acquire something without working for it. Envy can eat into our souls and become a really inhibiting character trait, even a toxic factor in our personality, capable of spoiling our life and our relationships with others.
Envy displays the capacity to be unappreciative of what we already possess. If we are truly aware and grateful for our good fortune, even though this commodity may seem to be unequally divided amongst us, we will help our degree of appreciation increase in a healthy manner to earn us greater fortune in the future.
Envy is totally eradicated if we become centred in our own personality and mind and if we focus upon our own business, our own desires, and developing our own qualities and aims. Then any negatives are transformed into positive admiration of others, or can provide motivation for us to pursue our own material or spiritual goals.
Sally Janssen’s wonderful book “Mental Fitness: A Simple Self-Help Guide”, offers simple and timely solutions.
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