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"Douse the envy"Envy is like a fire that burns in our hearts and minds. When it gets out of control, it can become deadly, ruining our feelings for others and our self-esteem. Envy boils down to three thoughts. "I want what you have. I dislike you for having it. In comparison, I dislike what I have." The fire of envy can't rage without comparison. Someone else has to have in abundance what we want, like better looks, more money, a bigger house, or a better job. The good side of envy is that it makes us work hard to get what others have. The bad side of envy is that it creates negative stories about others and also negative stories about our own failures. When envy is a small fire, it can inspire us to struggle for a better life. When it becomes a raging fire storm, it adds so much darkness to our minds that we can easily fall into hatred or depression. The fact is that we don't need envy to motivate us to change. We already have that ability in abundance. So, when we find ourselves envying a person, a group, or a class of people, we can keep it from becoming a fire storm by saying to ourselves, "Douse the envy". As a life practice, this simple expression will get us out of automatic, so we can make a more conscious choice. Will we choose envy or will we be thankful for what we have?
