Ay, nakaka-inggit...

I really don’t understand how some people can’t accept the fact that there are others who are over and above them, that there will always be others who are more successful, smarter, richer, or prettier. They can’t accept that there will be times when they won’t be on top, when they won’t be the best. Instead of being happy for other people’s achievement, they would be envious and bitter. When they see someone who is much better than them, they would really exert effort and energy to bring that person down. Either they would persistently look for something bad in that person or they would badmouth them. There are also times when they would do something to make that person start to doubt himself and eventually lose self-esteem. And at the extreme, so much jealousy and bitterness leads to violence.

I admit there are times that I also envy my friends or anybody around me if something good has happened with them, especially if it’s something that I also want. I guess it’s human nature, to be envious of what others have that we don’t. But I don’t let that get in the way of my being happy for them. I don’t let it get in the way of me appreciating what they have that I don’t. Instead, I use that as an inspiration that things are possible if I work hard enough to achieve it. Or if it isn’t really for me, I’d be a bit sad for myself but I’d still be happy for them. I think it becomes bad when that envy consumes us to a point when everything that we do is motivated by that ugly feeling. Then it’ll develop into some kind of resentment that’ll cause us to do destructive things to the person that we are envious of and also hurt ourselves in the process. Too much envy can lead to a deep feeling of frustration and disappointment until the time comes when we find ourselves incapable of being happy with our own achievements and successes and all we can see is how that other person overshadows us.

I guess in the end it all comes down to us being happy and content with what we have. At some point, we have to stop wanting, and searching, and hoping for things that we don’t have. We have to accept that we can’t have everything that we want and each of us have our own fate and destiny. By accepting our differences with others, we are letting go of any bitterness in our mind and in our hearts that prevents us from attaining our own happiness. Easier said that done, I know, but there’s really nothing to lose if we’ll try.