I Still Get Jealous

So I was thinking about jealousy. Forget a hundred, I'm about to keep it 1000% with y'all. I be gettin jealous man! LOL! But seriously, I'm surrounded by such dope people doing such big things. My peeps are out here really living their best lives, taking care of business, and realizing dreams. And sometimes I get a lil jelly. Jealousy gets a bad rap. When people hear that term, they automatically equate it with things like being a hater, being bitter, or being unsupportive. But, I don't think it has to be a bad thing. As humans, we will naturally experience different emotions. When I think about this, the animated movie, Inside Out, comes to mind. It did an excellent job of illustrating the importance of feeling and expressing our emotions. Anger, sadness, jealousy are a few of the emotions that can become toxic if not handled properly, but I believe if you just feel what you feel and move on, you can experience each of these emotions in a healthy way.
When I find myself feeling envious of someone's bucket list get-away or dream home or new relationship or newsworthy accomplishment, I do the following things to make the jealous rollercoaster an enjoyable ride.

• I acknowledge the feeling. It is absolutely possible to feel multiple emotions simultaneously. When a loved one celebrates a major accomplishment or life event that causes me to feel pangs of jealousy, I don't ignore it. I might even say, “Girl, I’m JEALOUS!” Ignoring or dismissing jealousy can be common because we tend to have guilt for feeling this way. We might think that we're an awful person for being jealous of our friend or family member. For me, I've realized that isn't true. When good things happen in the lives of those I love, I am genuinely happy, enthusiastically supportive, and may even loudly shout their praise from the rooftops...sometimes even louder than them! All that doesn't eliminate that lil green-eyed monster that sneaks in. So, when it comes, I just let it flow until it’s gone. I do that so I can move on with a pure celebratory attitude, avoid resentment, and focus on the positive...which brings me to my next point.
• I get inspired! Once I get over myself, I can reflect on the idea that whatever was accomplished or obtained, did not happen overnight. There was a journey of sorts that brought them to their current place of winning. Whether it be failed business ventures, loss of material things, non-stop hustle, longer than bargained for patience, exercising exponential levels of faith, severed relationships, the thrill of exhilarating highs, or the ache of debilitating lows...everyone has a road to destiny they must travel and they won’t all be the same. Embracing that inspires me to focus on my own journey, empowers me to persevere, gives me the strength to hold on to my faith, and encourages me to work hard and never give up!

I’m human, so I still get jealous (Cue the cutie, Nick Jonas. Click here if you don’t know and thank me later! 😉). But, I’m in touch with my feelings, so I give myself pep talks and use it as an opportunity for growth! Do you ever get jealous? Talk to me in the comments! I love to hear from you. 🥰