Whenever someone’s got something you wanted to get, get happy – because this means it’s get-able! Instead of being green with envy, be green with go-power, and go get it!
~ Karen Salmansohn
I decided to write about envy because during the last several weeks, I have had encounters with people who responded to me with envy – a doctor’s nurse, a chiropractor, and a grocery clerk – when I explained to them that I am living in an RV and doing international travel.
“I am so jealous. My husband and I have dreamed of doing that, but I am not sure we can pull it off,” one person said.
I confess that it makes me nervous to have others “jealous” of me. It makes me feel like there’s something unusual or special about me. It feels sort of like being put on a pedestal and I would rather not be put in that position from which I could fall.
In each case, I simply responded by encouraging them to believe that they too can do what we are doing. It may take time and planning – it certainly did for us – but anyone can make the choice to downsize and free up money to travel.
I choose to be a cheerleader for others to follow their heart’s calling, wherever that call leads them. I would like to empower others by our example, not make them jealous.
The act of envy disempowers the person who envies. That certainly isn’t what I want to have happen. I also don’t want my good fortune to cause anyone unhappiness.
Then I came across the quote above – Instead of being green with envy, be green with go-power, and go get it!
If you find yourself jealous of what someone has or is doing, why not see it as a message that motivates you to create change or just return to being grateful for what is already in your life?
Not everyone is interested in traveling. I have a brother who always responds to the news of my travels by saying, “Why would you want to go there?” Travel does not push his “joy” button like it does mine.
The other part of the quote – Whenever someone’s got something you wanted to get, get happy – because this means it’s get-able! – suggests that rather than feel envy, you can choose to feel happiness instead.
So, be happy when you find someone who has achieved what you’d like to achieve, because you now know it is “get-able.” Your goal is to make it happen for you.