JEALOUSY VS. INSPIRATION

Jealousy according to me is just the other side of Inspiration. If we flip the card, the other side would be inspiration. When one is feeling jealous… they are actually, looking at some positive aspect or attribute of the other person which they would like to have. It could be a material thing, a relationship or an achievement.

 If we feel bad about it and say “Oh! I do not have that”, it is jealousy but if we feel “Oh! I could have that or achieve that if I try then that becomes an inspiration. So, jealousy could be turned into a positive feeling… an inspiration if we choose to look at it that way.

For instance, if our counterpart or colleague is doing very well professionally and is very successful, one could feel jealous or get inspired by the way the person is leading his or her life. It is all about the choices we make and our perspective. We can observe and learn from others instead of feeling jealous. Of course, the circumstances could be different but we  can make an attempt. 

Comparing and feeling jealous about material things doesn’t make much sense as they are perishable and not always necessary to have. Material things can never be a bench mark for success or happiness. So I don’t think it is a good idea to compare and feel jealous about material things.

 Relationships are very personal and depend on a lot of things.  They may depend on the gender, the circumstances, the age, our culture, values, attitudes, beliefs etc. Now, professional success and achievements also depend on a lot of things so how can we compare and feel jealous?? It is better to just look at the person, and imbibe what appeals to you… be inspired and learn rather than feel jealous and do nothing about it.

So all we need to do is to just flip the card and look at the other side and follow our true instinct.

By Kalyani Garimella