Do you ‘envy’ your best friend? I know you will say No. It’s simple falling in the trap yet never being able to accept the feeling.
Let’s go on a beach holiday. I am bored.
I want to buy some dresses for work.
Why don’t you get flowers for me?
Many times, what we want is driven by what we see around us.
We see people taking international vacations, wearing beautiful expensive clothes and dining at fancy restaurants every day of the week. Then comes the urge to catch up. The need to do what others do and then post updates on social media. Followed by basking in the glory that we created for ourselves. We don’t realize this is a superficial way of feeling contented because what’s your life isn’t theirs and vice versa.
It happens to me too but I know when it does. I know how not to react on this feeling yet move on and see what makes me happy. The key for me is to be able to sense and hold myself from blaming that my life isn’t good enough. My life is made up of little joys and holidays I can afford. It is made up of clothes I am comfortable in and not the ones that others wear.
My life is mine and no one else’s. There is no place for envy in my life and there shouldn’t be in yours too.
“They’ll either want to kill you, kiss you, or be you.”
― Suzanne Collins
I am participating in the A To Z Challenge for the third time this year and I am penning Stories from everyday life.
happiness and food 
There is no reward from envy. Only depression imo.
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Wise words. I do feel envious of my best friend at times, but I haven’t yet tried to catch up or do something against my character. Hope that remains. A lovely post, Parul.
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Envy can make us lose sight of our goals, keep us depressed and unhappy even in the absence of an apparent reason to feel so negative.
I’m quite like you, I can always sense when such feelings grip me and I choose to not react and let the moment pass by taking a sneak peek of my gratitude journal to calm myself down.
Loved your sane take on this important issue that we many times fail to recognise.
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At one time in my life, I did feel envy for others. I rarely do, now. I have seen too many people struggling with problems I would never want to have. If they go on glamorous vacations inbetween problems, well, I’m grateful their problems aren’t mine.
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One benefit of age is you learn to not be envious if you are lucky.
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Hey ! My third time as well. Envy for sure is an emotion we all feel it depends how we channelise it.
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I feel it too. Sometimes I give in, sometimes I know it and stop it.
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Envy, I would be lying if I said I did not feel it. I do, I try my best not to get it to me. Because envy according to me is self destruction. But also inevitable plus it takes tome to train your mind you know.
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Honestly, I don’t. I basically do what I want to and when i want to, and that is my happiest way to be:)
I love the quote in the end, Parul:)
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Lol. Love the Collins quote.
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Those are some wose words, Parul. Much needed to keep a check on ourselves, especially after the involvement of social media in our lives.
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Well said buddy. My Holidays or my clothes of for that matter my happiness should be purely mine and not inspired to affect some else or social media.
Truly Yours Roma
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wow! That’s quite a noble sentiment. But don’t we all have our feet made of clay?
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Well said! in fact this is one quality I have always been in awe of myself, I never envy others, I know they have their piece of cake and I have mine. What I have may be unreachable for them and vice versa. living your life with content is what I love.
Launching SIM Organics This April
Menaka Bharathi *
SimpleIndianMom*
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“My life is mine, no one else’s” So true. Who knows, maybe someone sees some parts of us and feels envious too? And we just don’t realize it, cos we’re busy looking at something else, dismissing what we have.
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I think at some point in time we have felt envy for someone. However I think as you grow older and surer of yourself, the envy fades. Nice one Parul
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Envy and resentment doesn’t change the heart /life of others- it only changes ours. It ruins your peace of mind completely. I rarely feel envious of anyone now. That’s because I have realized that everybody’s life and its battles are different.
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I do feel envious esp seeing those travel pics in social media. It makes me think, “what I’m doing here?’ … But thankfully, my life is my choice, wala lines comes to mind… and I’m back to normal.
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Social media fuels our Envy as people usually project only the best part of their lives on it, like vacations and celebrations! We do need to see beyond that in our everyday lives and be content or aim for what we actually want and not what other have.
Celebrating ‘Women & their work’ all April: E for An Education for all
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That’s why I hid several feeds on FB and took off the app…I had enough of feeling envious of others’ lives. I try and remind myself of the little things and that’s easier when you don’t have all the other stuff thrown in your face
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In certain fields, I do envy certain friends for stuff I wish I had got instead of them. But I know that’s just wishful thinking and nothing more. We need to accept what we get in life. It ain’t easy but it’s necessary. Namrathas point about the role of social media holds true here.
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There really should not be a place for all of that jealousy, envy, rage, loath in our life…. nice article Parul…
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How very true Parul. Our true contentment n happiness lies in accepting or acknowledging my life as fulfilled the way it’s meant for just me. No envy n no silly competition over material things.
Expectations are too tricky to handle for me as I am a very emotional person. I wear my heart on the sleeve n end up being hurt all the time. But I wonder how I survive in my relationships if I don’t have any 😊
Emu & the Entrepreneur
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Envy? Well, I only envy Amal Clooney as of today!
I love the people who are close to me and I am very happy if good things are happening to them. Not once would I compare my life with them. As for the others who show off on facebook, I feel more angry than envy then.
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So true, Parul! Every time I see someone on Facebook going places and living a happy life, I know it’s a sham! It is not real! We never know what is going on behind those pictures and so we should be happy with what we have! Simple!
Cheers
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I’m not a jealous type. I think more life is better if you think when good things happen to others and feel glad for them.
Comments A to Z Theme: Sharing Family History via #GenealogyPhotoADay By Fran from TravelGenee Blog
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I am not envious of other people. What they have works for them. What I have works for me. If I want something (not because others have it), I give power to the thought and it will come to me. Envy, jealousy, doubt and worry are wasted emotions and not worth my energy.
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Love this post ! I think all of us goes through this feeling some time or the other, We need to hold on to that cravings for catching up and spare a thought and reconcile with our present situation to be happy.
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Hi, Parul, I also believe the concept that everyone is unique…there is no meaning to compare your life with others. But, when we do that comparison, we just miss our own contentment. Nice post. Best wishes.
-Sayanti from http://sayantideb.com
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I just loved the last few lines a lot. Our life is our own and may be we must try to live it on our own terms rather than just doing what others are doing!
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That quote by Suzanne Collins is so apt!
The only thing I envy about other people is their bookshelves. And with context to the challenge, I’m envying how everyone is managing to keep up with their blog-reading and commenting, and here I am, barely managing to read old blogs and search for new ones! But then, I don’t know what’s happening on the other side of the screen, and maybe they are envying someone else for some other reason 😀
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The best way is to count your blessings. This always always works for me. There are so many unique things a person has the others won’t 🙂
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