Feel envy

We’re conditioned to think of envy as an emotion that is not very helpful and best avoided.

But when it’s explored carefully, envy can be incredibly illuminating. It can help you see what you feel you lack and help you identify what you would like more of.

If you’re thinking about re-designing your life or career, you might like to try this:

Grab a piece of paper and think about someone you envy, for some reason. Now make a list of all the things about them and their life [real or imagined] that you admire or wish you had too. It could be:

• she is surrounded by lots of people who support her
• she has heaps of confidence and just goes for things
• she doesn’t ever question herself
• she is always amazingly presented
• she is unswervingly loyal

Make this list as long as you can. Then spend some time narrowing it down. Reduce it to the things that you would r-e-a-l-l-y love, yourself.

Now, the next step is the critical bit:

Challenge yourself to think about how you could bring those things into your own life. Identify some practical steps [to do today, this week, this month] to start enjoying them in your own world.

Then start doing.