Happiness and All That.....

“Oh I am SO happy for you."

 How many times have we said that? I’m betting that most of us could agree that we’ve used this phrase often. Ok, how many times have we said that and meant it? Truly being happy and celebrating someone else’s happiness is rewarding and humbling. We, as women are traditionally, ‘happy for ourselves’. But yet when a friend gets a better man, a fancier house, a newer vehicle, or a faster horse, we instantly have the jealousy factor. We can smile and say “oh that’s so great” and in the back of our minds think “how did SHE afford that?!” Don’t sit here reading this thinking you’ve never done that. We all have.

Celebrate others achievements. Jealousy is a powerful thing. And unfortunately, jealousy leads to the demise of friendships. Instead of encouraging and congratulating, we tend to focus on either: 1) feeling sorry for ourselves because we don’t have what he or she has, or 2) trying to get the next bigger and better thing so all of our friends can pat us on the back. I challenge you to share the joy in others endeavors. Stop worrying about what others have accomplished before you did. Your time is coming. But yet, don’t lose sight of your dreams just because you don’t succeed the first time or because somebody else achieves them. They are still your dreams and all your hard work is still yours. The most rewarding thing you can do is invest time and effort into someone else and see them succeed. It’s amazing how things can fall into place for you when you stop worrying about what someone else has accomplished. Instead of worrying about how you can out-do someone, GENUINELY share in that person’s joy and happiness. Trust me, you will feel much better about yourself.