However, I recently realized I'm the same way when I hear that someone got a great new job or promotion, or is doing something awesome with their career. Like when Liza told me she's going to L.A. next week to do a photo shoot with two A-list celebrities, I was on the verge of being suicidal. You're working with celebrities? That's my thing. Well, it used to be. I haven't worked with a celeb in so long, I'd probably be excited to interview Carrot Top. (What the heck is he up to these days?) I'm my sister's biggest cheerleader, but sometimes life just doesn't seem fair.
Oh and remember the girl I told you about in this post? Well whattaya know, she done landed herself a job! A GOOD job. It took me over a year to get a job after graduation! And I recently talked to a girl who lost her job around the same time I did who has scored a bijillion sweet freelance gigs, one right after the other. (One was at a magazine I would KILL to work for.) Sigh. In this sense, I am just like the girls I mentioned above. I constantly find myself thinking, "I want what she's got...and better shoes."
Tell me: Do you find yourself feeling this way about other people? Is it usually about personal or work-related things?
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I can definitely fall into that trap of being envious of other people. But thankfully my husband is the 100% complete opposite of that and he always brings me back when I start to get really jealous. He always says, "Would you take her life (all of it) to have what she has at this moment." And 100% of the time the answer is NO. :)
ReplyDeleteyes I fall into this as well! It's really hard when you have a sister with an AWESOME job too. But I agree with the above commment. I wouldn't trade being me to be anyone else. And everything is relative. I can say that I would rather be here where I am now than where a large majority of people I know are. However, for me, it is also about other people with successful careers, and not so much the marriage/baby stuff. I have to CONSTANTLY remind myself that being envious of others does absolutley nothing except hinder me. I have to say that I relate to almost EVERY post you put up, Ellen! You have a knack for this stuff!!
ReplyDeletei think it happens to the best of us, but i am pretty good about not dwelling. i try not to live my life in comparison to others b/c we all have our on paths in life, plus i am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and all things work out in the end :)
ReplyDeleteI'm happy that I have a group of friends who are very supportive of eachother. I think its good that we have healthy competition. We don't have jealousy...but we definitely inspire eachother to do better...whether it's working out, starting blogs, spirituality, school, relationships, career, etc.etc. But you also have to remember not measure your life by someone else's yardstick.
ReplyDeleteThe career thing is where my envy kicks into overdrive. I think it is mainly because it seems to come naturally to so many other people while I am working my tail off to make ends meet so I'm unable to pursue what I want (and add to that that I am still trying to figure out what i want to do and it's enough to induce a quarter life crisis). Sigh.
ReplyDeleteUgh I try not to get jealous of my friends sometimes but I do but I'm only 21 so I figured I still have ways to go before I get engaged, married and have kid. At least I have the good job down :) But dont worry girl, like my mami always said: "your time will come" whenever that is.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, T DOES HAPPEN TO ME. All the time. Does that make me bad? No. It helps for me to look in the opposite direction when that happens though! Ah- whatever! But, that is when i come to realize that life is good and will only get better. SOON.
ReplyDeleteoh yes, oh yes, i've been here, currently am there, and constantly trying to break myself of this bad habit. Its my mom's fault--no really, i'm not on some freud bullshit--when i was a kid, my mom constantly compared me to my peers. it kinda made me wonder if she wanted them to be her child rather than me, but as a "grown up" have learned to view her comments differently. however, i still have the habit of comparing myself to others. fortunately, i've gotten MUCH better at accepting that everyone's life is on a different timeline. so unlike some of my girlfriends who are in wonderful marriages or on the way to marriages, happy homeowners, disgustingly pleased with their careers, or ridiculously talented dancers, I am single (recently), a renter, looking for a new job because i hate my current job, and i hate the city i live in. at one point in my life, this would drive me to drink. heavily. but i keep remembering, we're all on a different timeline. and being jealous doens't change my situation, so to hell with that...
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