Source of inspiration or envy for you?
Here's an emotion that we RARELY talk about that I think is an extremely powerful driver in my life: ENVY.
Envy often gets a really bad wrap.
And the irony is that I'm posting this on a social media platform, which exposes this emotion a LOT (or, is it just me?)
You can be sitting there, enjoying life. You start peacefully scrolling, and suddenly you're confronted by highlights from others' lives, pushing you into a spiral of "Why isn't that me?"
I say, EMBRACE THE ENVY.
The great thing about envy is that it leaves clues and helps build your self awareness…
Here’s how I approach it:
✅ Acceptance. Stop judging yourself on feeling it: We’re human. It’s natural for us to look around and see how we stack up in this world.
✅ Analysis. When envy strikes, dissect it: If you see something that someone is doing, and you’re envious of that, ask yourself, these questions:
➡️ Identify the exact trigger. What about that post stokes the feeling? What is that they’re doing/that they have?
➡️ Reflect: Do you want exactly the same thing, or are there elements in there, that you wish you had more of?
➡️ Align with your aspirations: Do you even want this at all? (It’s amazing how sometimes I can feel a pang and then actually think it through I realise.. actually, I don’t want that!). Does what they’re doing actually line up with the person you want to be in 12, 24, 36 months?
** Please note: All of this comes with a disclaimer that social media is a highlights reel and I’m not offering clinical advice on mental health issues relating to social media, just a personal approach on how I navigate my drive and weaponise envy for good**
