Green With Envy

It is great to hear “follow your bliss” in your career. For many people, though, identifying what that is can be as difficult as the decision to follow it! How can you go after it when you don’t know what it is?

I am reading a book that is cracking me up! The content is interesting and the writer is funny. It’s called “9 Secrets of Women Who Get Everything They Want” by Kate White. Someone who is known for giving me backhanded compliments gifted me with the book. At the time, I wasn’t sure if she was being nice or getting a dig in at me due to the title. That’s why the book sat on the shelf for so long. I’m glad I finally took a look. 

One of the first chapters talks about envy, an intense emotion that people prefer to avoid. It is admiration gone sour. The book suggested viewing envy as a compass pointing us north.  When we feel it, we are allowing ourselves to feel our deepest desires.

I want to invite you to have a 15-minute outright envy attack and write down what bubbles up. I told my business partner last week prior to reading this book that I was envious of someone in our field that had a head start on me. Frankly, I was surprised by my reaction, since I can’t remember the last time I felt envious. I think it was 1989, when I was young and trying to figure life out…which I still am! 

I have always used strong emotions such as envy as rocket fuel. Fortunately, I can easily change my perspective back to admiration for that person. The, I dig in and get to work on myself in order to create my own version of that particular success.

That envy attack and the book’s explanation made me recognize that I am on the right track at last! I am doing the work that I have always desired to do—motivating, inspiring and equipping moms with the knowledge and tools they need to create their own bliss. I hope this exercise gives you some insights into your dream work situation like it did for me!