What Envy Is Trying to Tell You
A "Strucke by Enlightening" Post
Have you ever been envious of someone? It is such an awful feeling. There is this person who is constantly throwing their success in your face. Every time you see them or hear their voice, you just feel annoyed. You wonder how they ever succeeded. After all, they’re not so great. Who do they think they are?
Ever wonder why you are so envious of them? Could it be that every time you see them they just remind you of what you’re not doing?
I get it. I’ve been there. I didn’t try for things, because I didn’t feel like I was good enough. One little criticism from anyone was enough to make me give up. And I did. I wasted many years doing things other people told me I should do and stayed within the realm of their limited beliefs. For instance, I wanted to record my original songs, but I let my fear paralyze me.
Meanwhile, people all around me were doing exactly what I wanted to do. I was envious and jealous, but I was too afraid to go for it. Besides, I wasn’t even sure I was good enough to follow my dream. After all, I knew I wasn’t a great singer. I wasn’t as talented as all those successful people. Why risk the rejection and make a fool out of myself?
I went on with my life, and, for a couple of years, I lived without a piano in my home. It seems crazy now, a person who lived and breathed music, who was known even as a child as “that girl who played the piano,” actually had stopped playing completely. And yet, whenever I visited anyone or any place with a piano, all I wanted was for someone to ask me to sit down and play my songs for them. And they never did.
Then, one day it dawned on me: We are only given one life. If I didn’t record my songs now, no one would ever hear them. So, I bought a 4-track player and started recording songs and entered a couple of songwriting contests, singing my own songs. I was shocked when they notified me that I was a finalist. I started playing piano in churches and soon I was a keyboardist in a rock band, but I was still afraid to play my own songs live, especially since I couldn't sing very well. In addition, I was still envious of people, especially great singers.
I can’t remember the exact moment I stopped caring what people thought. Maybe it was when I listened to an amazing singer on Youtube. Below the video, nasty trolls had written vicious comments about a professional that I respected and admired. Even though she was a huge star, and so many people loved her voice, there were still others who hated it and spewed their vitriol all over the Internet.
Then, I heard a popular Indie group playing. Their lead singer would have never made it on American Idol, if not for his amazing songwriting skills and hundreds of thousands of fans. I thought, he’s doing it. He doesn’t care what people think, and he’s happy.
That’s when it dawned on me: It really doesn’t matter what people think. There will always be haters everywhere. People have a right to their opinion, but we don’t have to take their criticism to heart. Their criticism about you is more about the awful way they feel about themselves. You could be the best singer in the world, and not everyone will be a fan, and that’s okay. By pushing past the fear and following your calling, you will make a difference in the lives of others. Even if your life inspires only one person, it is worth it.
We have to break through the fear of criticism and stop worrying if people will like what we are doing. We have to push past rejection and keep persevering until we achieve what we want. We must do what we were meant to do on this Earth. Life is not about impressing others; it is about following our true calling. And the person who doesn’t follow their true calling is truly a miserable person. That’s the person that becomes the hater. That’s the person who writes hateful comments under Youtube videos.
Some people are out there living their dreams. They are doing what they want to do every day and living their authentic life, following their purpose. Others sit back and watch everyone else doing what they want to do and wonder what happened.
Next time you are envious of someone, realize it’s probably because they are doing what you want to do. That’s your soul giving you a huge wake up call. It’s telling you it is time to make a change. And once you start following your true calling, your envy and jealousy of others will disappear like magic, and you just might find yourself being happy for someone else’s success.
