Jealousy Is a Useful Tool. Here’s How to Use It

Harness feelings of jealousy to figure out what you want

Photo by Matt Artz on Unsplash

No one likes to feel jealous of a friend or a family member, or even a stranger on social media. But this jealousy is useful. It can help you figure out what you want to do with your life.

You first need to make a few conscious choices, however.

Here’s how.

What jealousy means under the surface

Jealousy isn’t inherently bad. This is important to understand. Otherwise, you’ll probably feel ashamed or guilty, then have a harder time using your jealous feelings to your advantage. When I look past any shame I’m feeling, I can see that my jealousy is trying to teach me something about myself.

Career jealousy pops up when you want to be doing something that someone else has managed to do successfully. For example:

• A friend gets promoted
• Your cousin starts her own business
• A social media influencer makes money by posting photos
• A co-worker goes back to school to get a master’s degree
• You hear about someone starting work in a creative space, like a book store or a brewery