Addiction #29 – Envy (Part 2 .. a Way to Freedom) 04/30/12
LICKING THE RAZOR’S EDGE
Addiction #29 – ENVY
(Part 2 … a Way to Freedom)
“Love, and all doors will open up to you. So stop asking yourself why you are unhappy, why you suffer so many setbacks … The reason is simply that you have no Love. If you had Love, nothing would resist you, because when you have Love it is impossible to stand there – yearning for everything while doing nothing.” ~ inspired by Omraam Aivanhov
“Envy is a symptom of lack of appreciation of our own uniqueness and self worth. Each of us has something to give to others that no one else can.” ~ inspired by Elizabeth O’Connor
“To be rich in admiration and free from envy, to rejoice greatly in the good of others, to care with such generosity of heart that your Love is still a dear possession in the face of absence or unkindness … These are the gifts which money cannot buy.” ~ inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson
Traditional schools of thought have championed various methods of defeating envy – regularly “counting your blessings”, consistently praising yourself, and even finding ways to partially satisfy your envy’s cravings.
Of course, there is only one fundamental problem with these methods … they simply do not work.
This is not to say that they are “bad” or “useless” practices, of course. It can be a humbling experience to remember the good things with which you have been blessed, it can be uplifting to remember your own positive qualities, and it can be enjoyable to at least partially satisfy your own goals & dreams.
AND YET, each and every one of these methods is essentially self-centered in its focus, and as such inevitably strengthens the same ego that encouraged you to be envious of others in the first place.
You might find temporary relief from your dis-ease through these means, and yet they will not provide you with the lasting, deep-seated solace you seek. Remembering your blessings inevitably leads to you protecting them and desiring more, remembering your “good traits” inevitably leads you to feel entitled to having more of “the good life”, and partially satisfying any craving only leads to you inevitably wanting more & more & more of the same.
Indeed, it is our primal nature to keep searching for things “better” — the nicer house, the more fulfilling job, the shinier car, the bigger bank account; always something newer … always something else … always something more.
And the problem is – there is always something “better” right there for the striving. Especially in western, industrialized nations, there is an overflow of alternatives to every commodity. Many might be out of our reach, and yet they are not so far removed from us that we cannot yearn to someday have them – and envy others who already do.
And so how in the world can we free ourSelves from this prison of want? How can we release our envy in a way that brings real & lasting Peace into our lives?
I don’t have any specific advice for any of you, of course … As with all of the addictions with which we each live each day, it is up to each of us to find our own, unique ways to neuter their power over our lives.
AND, it is possible in-deed that the following three tips might help you get started down that Road … So feel free to have the courage to try any or all of the following:
TIP #01) BOOM some RADICAL GRATITUDE
Your ego wants you to be passively envious of what you do not have, so choose instead to be actively open about your appreciation for the Life you already do. Release your focus on others and their possessions, and express instead how grateful you are simply to be alive.
TIP #02) BE KIND to all COMPETITORS
Your ego wants you to view others who have what you want as your enemies, so choose instead to treat them as allies. Compliment them & perform anonymous acts of Kindness for them behind their backs. Be gently generous with them face to face. The fastest way to cleanse yourself of all envy is to give to those others the very things you most wish you had yourself.
TIP #03) LIVE to SERVE (not to be served)
Your ego wants you to feel entitled to more; to sit back and patiently wait to receive what you “so rightly deserve”. Of course, to do so – ironically, is to sell your own True Self short. So choose instead to get up and go forth into your community to live a life of service for those in need. The only way for you to truly appreciate your greatest blessing (which is your conscious Life), you will have to at some point — in some way, choose to willingly self-sacrifice for those less fortunate than yourself.
“Envy comes from people’s ignorance of, or lack of belief in, their own gifts.” ~ Jean Vanier
“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.” – Thornton Wilder
“To attain inner peace you must actually give your life, not just your possessions. When you at last give your life — bringing into alignment your beliefs and the way you live then, and only then, can you begin to find inner peace.” ~ Peace Pilgrim
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