Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Jealous Much?

Lehmann Laughter

If you’re new here, this link-up is every Wednesday (until the 30 weeks are up) and it’s based off these two articles – here and here. You are welcome to take the points in any direction you choose, what I go off of is only something to get the ol’ brain ticking. Original post is here.

I hope you’ll join me!

Previous posts: Week 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 & 15.

Halfway done, woohoo!
On to Week 16!

Jealous Much?
Have you ever caught yourself being the green-eyed monster?

Oh, yes. The insane amount of connections we have available to us to witness others joys & accomplishments & bragging certainly pull my green-eyed monster out from the depths of my soul. In my early 20s, this jealous would eat at me. I mean, I was deserving! Why didn’t wonderful things happen to me as they seemed to happen so easily for others?!

Boot in your

Oh to be 21 again.


But as I’ve grown and matured, as easy as that jealousy surfaces it’s becoming just as easy to push it back down. Something that has really helped me with this is that over the past year I’ve made a conscious effort that when those feelings arose, I’d say a simple prayer thanking the Lord for all that He has given me instead of focusing on what I thought He should have given me. It’s not only a great way to say thanks but to also remind myself of all that I am blessed with.


I think our society tends to focus a lot on what the next big thing is (technology, vacations, viral videos) and forgets that things don’t need to be advanced to be beautiful. It’s the simplest things we should be grateful for that we forget about.


Breathing.


I am currently breathing. How wonderful and blessed am I to simply acknowledge the fact that I am alive? I am alive! I can walk, I can run, I can provide for my family, I can hug my family, I laugh, I live, I am blessed. 


DSC03012


Jealousy certainly comes around from time to time but I refuse to make it a permanent home in my heart, I have too much awesome stuff there already, I don’t need something as crappy as that to tear that away. Ain’t nobody got time for that.


How do you handle jealousy?


 


3 comments:

Kate said...

This. All of this.
It's so easy to fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others and the things they have.

Sometimes I take a step back and think, "What about ME could other people be jealous of?" Because I have a pretty great life.

Sar said...

Dude. I totally have this. Not so much jealousy, but envy like whoa. I'm good at being happy for others, but I also feel a ping of "Well, when will xyz happen for me? I'm an awesome person!" which is NOT healthy (and one of the reasons why FB and I do not get along). I have to remind myself often that people don't put unhappiness up on the internet. Or if they do, it's because they possibly have a personality disorder.

The Lady Okie said...

I think this way of dealing with jealousy is awesome. I feel like I struggle with jealousy a lot, and it's frustrating, but really I do need to (and I try to) thank God for the things I already have as opposed to the things I wish I had.