Excerpt

Facing the Green-Eyed Monster:
Learning from Envy

© Claire Communications

When William’s neighbor drove up with a new Mercedes sports car, William suddenly felt “less than.” Spoiled little inheritance baby, William thought. At least I work for my money.

Frances wanted to be happy for her friend—who had just landed a lucrative book publishing contract and had a new boyfriend—but inside she was ticking off all the reasons her friend didn’t deserve either.

Envy isn’t pretty, is it?

Even on a good day, news of someone else’s good fortune can send us spiraling into a pit of bitter—though silent—accusations and weak self-righteousness. It poisons our confidence and undermines our sense of worth. Given enough energy, envy can balloon into outright hate.

But facing this green-eyed monster, looking it in the eye without flinching, can tell you powerful things about yourself—what you really want, what needs to change and what you need to let go. Seen this way, envy is information. It points us to the good we thirst for and points out our belief that good or excellence is out of our reach.

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