A 4-Step Cure for Career Envy
Life is just better when you want to see others win
I began my morning feeling good. I had just finished getting my kids dressed and fed, and had no other tasks standing between me and the workday ahead. I was energized. I was ready to be productive.
And then I opened up Facebook.
The post jumped out at me immediately: Someone in my network had shared a story they’d written that had gone viral. They were being flooded with opportunities and getting all sorts of recognition. Scrolling through the comments, I felt my face turning red with envy. “I’m just as good as that!” I thought — and just like that, the flood of self-pitying thoughts came rushing forth. What was I doing wrong that I wasn’t enjoying the same attention as my (much younger, I noted bitterly) acquaintance?
Even in my own head, I knew how ridiculous I sounded. Heck, I’ve made it my life’s work to help others go after what they want in life through my coaching and writing — it’s my job to cheer for people’s wins. And I’ve always believed wholeheartedly in that quote by Theodore Roosevelt: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
But I’ll also admit that it’s a hard quote to embody when you’re the one who seems to be falling behind. I closed out of Facebook, but I spent the rest of the day stewing.
