Be genuinely happy for others in your life when they succeed. Someone else’s gain is rarely ever your loss. In fact, positive momentum is infectious. If a friend or colleague in your social or professional circle achieves success, their energy has a positive impact on everyone else in that environment. Have you ever noticed misery loves company? Well, so do happiness, self-fulfilment, and good fortune. The people in your life will either lift you up or hold you down. It is all in how you look at it.
It’s disheartening to see how petty, judgmental, jealous, and critical we can be of other people. This is especially true when someone does well. We often jump to quick conclusions and second-guess their motivations or worthiness. My belief is that we do this more because of how we feel about ourselves than because of anything related to the other person. In our highly competitive and materialistic society, we are constantly reminded of what we don’t have or where we fall short, and this hits even closer to home when the point of comparison is a peer. I’ve been surprised many times by how quickly a positive piece of news about someone else is transformed into a discussion about their faults or the negative trade-offs they’ve made to get where they are.
As my parents used to constantly remind me, “If you don’t have anything nice to say about someone, then say nothing at all.” I urge you to go further and consistently point out others’ good qualities. Be the first person to send a congratulatory note or email when something goes well. Strive to both literally and figuratively commend others for their accomplishments. Be excited for them about their promotion, new car, new house, and so on. Instead of succumbing to negative emotions about your own comparative situation, try to put yourself in their shoes and enjoy the moment. Success is much more satisfying when you feel you can share it with others.
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- No One Became Wealthy Worrying for Others (moneyning.com)
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- How Not To Be Jealous (mademan.com)
- Ideas for breaking the habit of being judgmental? Please share! (joyofspa.com)
- The Downside of Success: How Social Comparison Theory Instructs (psychologytoday.com)
- How To Attract Positive Energy And Positive People Into Your Life (tipsonalltopics.wordpress.com)