I want some of that!

Green With Envy.

How easily you can fall into the trap of wanting what you see others having and enjoying. In fact, you do not even need to see the other person merely talks to you about what they are up to and you feel jealous. I was joking with my friend who at the moment is enjoying some time abroad. They were sitting in the sun enjoying a little cocktail while I was out in the wind and rain battling to get the bins out for collection. For a moment I was wishing we could have swapped places. Trivial I know but the beginning of envy.

There is a fable of an eagle which could out fly another, and the other didn't like it. 

The latter saw a sportsman one day, and said to him, "I wish you would bring down that eagle." The sportsman replied that he would if he only had some feathers to put on the arrow. So the eagle pulled one out of his wing. The arrow was shot, but didn't quite reach the rival eagle; it was flying too high. 

The envious eagle pulled out more feathers and kept pulling them out until he lost so many that he couldn't fly, and then the sportsman turned around and killed him. 

My friend, if you are jealous, the only person you can hurt is yourself.

There is another little tale that illustrates this well.

Two shopkeepers were bitter rivals. Their stores were directly across the street from each other, and they would spend each day keeping track of each other's business. If one got a customer, he would smile in triumph at his rival. 

One night in a dream a genie appeared to one of the shopkeepers in a dream and said, "I will give you anything you ask, but whatever you receive, your competitor will receive twice as much. 

Would you be rich? You can be very rich, but he will be twice as wealthy. Do you wish to live a long and healthy life? You can, but his life will be longer and healthier. What is your desire?" 

The man frowned, thought for a moment, and then said, "Here is my request: Strike me blind in one eye!" 

One true sign of jealousy is when it's easier to show sympathy and "weep with those who weep" than it is to exhibit joy and "rejoice with those who rejoice." I am not sure I am expressing this as well as I might if I were a literary genius like Walter Scott. 

I end with a tale about him, a true tale. 

For many years Sir Walter Scott was the leading literary figure in the British Empire. No one could write as well as he. Then the works of Lord Byron began to appear, and their greatness was immediately evident. 

An anonymous critic praised his poems in a London Paper. He declared that in the presence of these brilliant works of poetic genius, Scott could no longer be considered the leading poet of Britain. 

It was later discovered that the unnamed reviewer had been none other than Sir Walter Scott himself!

There is a distinction between jealousy and envy. 

To envy is to want something which belongs to another person.  

In contrast, jealousy is the fear that something which we have may be taken by another person.

Although jealousy can apply to our jobs, our possessions, or our reputations, the word more often refers to anxiety which comes when we are afraid that the affections of a loved one might be lost to a rival. We fear that our mates, or perhaps our children, will be lured away by some other person who, when compared to us, seems to be more attractive, capable and successful.

Such belief can eat deep into our inner being and spoil the wonder of what we have.

Have a marvellous day rejoicing in the good things that surround you.