It wouldn’t be out of place to say that most humans possess the desire to become successful and “make it” in life. This desire is what drives our actions, behaviour, attitudes, and interactions with others. If unchecked, it can create selfish tendencies in each of us. And with this comes jealousy and resentment.
What are your genuine feelings when you receive news of someone’s success in one area or the other you previously failed in? How do you react?
How do you handle the successes of friends, family, and those in your inner circle?
Do you experience rage or jealousy when someone you feel you are better than advances better in your field of endeavour? All these questions, if honestly answered, will give us a true picture of ourselves.
For some, the art of hiding these emotions behind a facade and projecting expressions of happiness and excitement only at the surface for good news shared seems to have been perfected.
I’ll paint a quick scenario. A co-worker passes her promotion exams at work. You start to resent that because you feel you deserve the promotion more than she does. But then, a fake smile is plastered at the news.
Just as you try to wrap your head around that news, the same person announces her double blessings: the dedication of her twins and move to a better house. You smile and heartily congratulate the person, but in your head, you are like “kuku kill me”. Perhaps, because you have been looking for the fruit of the womb for so long and you feel it should have come to you instead.
Truth be told, we are human beings, and so are bound to feel the pangs of these negative emotions sometimes. However, when these emotions become the norm for every good news received or success recorded, then there is a problem.
When they persist, we should do well to remember that we cannot all shine at the same time. Remember, the sun shines in the day while the moon dominates at night.
Being sincerely happy for another person is the only way out of the hole of frustration and self-pity. Discard the notion that you are better than someone else or more deserving of a reward or success story than others are.
If you are jealous, be brave enough to admit that and replace the jealousy with more positive emotion. The way you handle the success of others when things are not exactly going well for you goes a long way to show your level of maturity and self-esteem.
So, ditch the envy and quit releasing the plastic smile (you all know the smile I’m talking about) when good news is shared by others. Work on being genuinely pleased with positive news. For their sake, and yours.
Finally, everyone has their moment in the sun. In time, yours too shall come.
Is there a method you use to fight negative emotions when they come? Please, do share in the comment section. To comment on this, kindly input “admin” as the username and password if a prompt requests for this. This shows for first-time comments only.
Love,
Diane
