Jealousy is the evil green-eyed friend that none of us wants, but almost all of us possess. And jealousy gets a very bad name, and rightly so, because it makes us think, say, and do awful things, and no one wants a jealous person in their lives.
But, jealousy is just as good for you, if used in the right way.
1. It is a good motivator.
Among the things jealousy makes you do, one of them is get right off your ass and work towards achieving a certain target yourself. If you’re jealous of a friend’s success, it’s basically resentment that you aren’t there yet, and that is motivation enough to make you go for it.
2. Jealousy in a relationship is an eye-opener.
Realising that you’re jealous makes both you and your partner realise how much they mean to you and how the thought of them with someone else stings you right in the gut. A little bit of jealousy in the relationship is healthy and it makes you keep the love alive.
3. It teaches you empathy.
A pang of jealousy and wishful negative thinking is usually followed by a pang of guilt, and this leads you to assess what situation the opposite person is in. You get a sense of understanding as to how they got where they are and that it’s not difficult for you too.
4. This too shall pass.
If you keep at it, your jealousy will eventually abate. You understand that whatever hardships they’ve gone through, those moments passed for them, and now they’re here. Nothing is permanent and everyone will have their moments of glory.
5. Jealousy makes your mind wonder.
Learn to turn around jealousy and question yourself why you felt that way in the first place. It’ll make you curious about how the opposite person got to their level of success and possibly even inspire you to work harder so that you can be the subject of jealousy for others.
6. Jealousy gets your brain juices flowing.
When you get jealous of people’s achievements, you obsess a lot over them and the entire case. Obsessing over positive things is a plus point, because it will lead your attention to spike and eventually lead you to focus better.
7. Red flags come up and you get a reality check.
Being overly jealous in a relationship means that you’re insecure and that should serve as a warning sign to either keep yourself in check or back off on the emotional front, because everyone knows that insecurity stems from a lack of trust, and no relationship can survive that way.
8. A little bit of friction is good.
Jealousy actually lights up a significant portion of your path ahead of you. If you’re jealous of a person and the current position they are in, that is an indicator of where you want to be. This is a reason why many use jealousy to their advantage and set goals.
So remember, reactive jealousy is a good thing if you choose to act on it with a positive frame of thought. Take it in, make it yours, and let it be your guiding light.