(Image Source: CBS Sports.com)
Have you ever found yourself experiencing competition? You get this sense that others are not happy for your success or achievements. You wonder why because you thought the person involved was your friend or had your back. You would be happy for them if they achieved success, but they seem jealous of the good things that come your way. It doesn’t seem fair and you can’t understand their behavior.
I know that this can be hurtful when this sort of thing occurs but it often has more to do with the other person than with you. Remind yourself of that. They are jealous because they don’t have the guts to go after the things that you did. You did. They are envious because you figured out something that they could not. They are unhappy because your plan worked out and theirs did not. This is not your fault so don’t take it to heart. It doesn’t take away the sting, though.
I’ve been seeing this happening more and more recently, and I think we need to work on it as a society. Instead of being envious of others’ successes, we should applaud and embrace them. When we lift others up and celebrate them, we are lifting ourselves up in the process.
One recent example that I’ve seen is all of the negative chatter around Caitlin Clark. A lot of people are throwing jabs her way instead of celebrating the fact that she’s broken one of the biggest glass ceilings there is. I know that she’s not perfect (none of us are), but her triumphs are triumphs for all women (athletes and non-athletes alike), and I, for one, am glad to see it happen. With her star power, she can make a lot of progress for all of us. She is going to be able to get better offers and deals. She will continue to pave the way for a lot of other women. So, let’s support her and see what she can do.
If you find yourself becoming resentful of someone else’s successes, take a step back and ask yourself why. You should also do the same when you feel that someone is acting in an envious manner towards you. If you zoom out, you’ll get to the root cause, and realize that we are much better off supporting each other, than pulling each other down. We’re all connected, after all.