December 22 – Cleansing Envy: List three (3) possessions that others have that you wish you had. Now choose to be Happy for their “success” by anonymously doing something kind for each of them today.

Bonus Activity: In addition to the afore-mentioned anonymous Good Deeds, approach each of these people personally (even if it’s merely by phone) and offer to help them in any way they might need it.

Envy is programmed into our systems. What better way to insure our survival than to see what brings another happiness and then yearn for it until we obtain it for ourselves. And it’s not just the obvious moments of jealousy or greed that harm us. In many ways envy is also insidiously subtle – from the “woe is me” of unrequited passion, to the gossip we unleash behind others’ backs, to even the slapstick comedy routines at which we laugh (there’s nothing more refreshing to the ego than seeing someone in pain who it sees as a competitor for life’s finite resources). Indeed, in a society created by brains primarily running full-tilt on ego, envy is one of its cornerstones; one of the driving forces behind both “productivity” and “appropriateness”.

I know all about envy, of course. I have a healthy reptile brain just like most everyone else. And even though I have consciously chosen (& consciously continue to choose) to set those selfish desires aside in favor of inspirations more caring, my ego is still there – still yearning for what others have that I do not. And as long as I continue to reside in my mind-body, these temptations to covet what others have will continue. They aren’t “bad” inclinations – unless I stray from the conscious path and succumb to them. And that is always my choice and my choice alone.

So what to do with today’s task?

It had been so long since I allowed myself to envy what another has that this challenge was extremely difficult at first. I have been consciously practicing seeing the others’ successes and joys as my own for many years, and it has gotten to the point where being happy for another’s “win” is my first response (which ironically allows me to experience a more joyful life in return). As a consequence, I had to literally ask my ego what it desired that it didn’t yet have – and here is what it said:

First, it wanted the fame of Oprah Winfrey. It told me that it would do great & loving things if it had her influence; that it would channel her power towards spreading the message of selflessness, and that it wouldn’t fall into the slippery pit of materialism. And so, today I chose to be happy for Oprah and her fame – and I sent her an email saying as much.

Second, it wanted the health of a pro-athlete. It whispered that it could serve others much more effectively if it had the strength and the stamina of those folks; that it would channel that resilience into caring for the downtrodden, and that it wouldn’t fall into the slippery pit of vanity. And so, today I chose to be happy for Lebron James – and sent him an email saying as much.

Finally, it wanted money – yes, money. It gently told me that it could do so much good for the needy if it had access to material wealth; that it would use its stores of riches to ease the suffering of millions of others, and that it wouldn’t fall into the slippery pit of callous “just in case” hoarding. And so, today I chose to be happy for Bill Gates – and I sent him an email saying as much.

This was all fine and good, and yet I still felt that I was somehow …

And then the answer started flowing through me, and it commenced by flipping the task on its head. To truly begin to break free of our automated envy, it is necessary consciously focus on what we have with gratitude, as opposed to what we “lack”.

We can choose to remember that …

And most importantly, we can even see our “lacks” as blessings – as opportunities to become powerful by giving to others in those moments when feel most impoverished; by actively doing good for others when we are ill or in pain; by being kind to others when we feel most angered by them.

In this way, we move away from seeing life’s glass as “half empty” (envy) and through the equally illusory seeing of life as “half full” (traditional gratitude”, and immerse ourselves instead into the knowledge that LIFE IS FULL – always & in allWays.

In essence, to indelibly replace your envy with this form of “radical Gratitude”, start by detaching from everything you have been taught about thankfulness – primarily the myth that it is to be felt only when “good things” happen to you.

Then, choose to humbly revere your life regardless of its circumstances – especially when you are having a “bad day”.

This will allow you to reconcile with the people you envy and the things you covet; seeing the Truth that what you do not have can be an even grater blessing than the things you do. In essence, you are forgiving your ego its selfishness – a selfishness that is very reasonable, and yet that keeps you from blossoming into the Peace of Oneness that are your birthright.

And this will finally allow you to revel in your time – to appreciate the wonders that are showered upon you when things “go well”, as well as to revel in your opportunities to extend others powerful Kindness when things “go wrong”. This mentality, and this mentality alone, will allow you to free yourself from the clutches of meaninglessness and enmity that inspire your suffering.

And when this is repeatedly accomplished, you will begin to experience how it feels to reside in Heaven.

See You when I see you …

… and until then, Be Now!

Scaughdt

Filed under: 366 Days of Kindness by Scaughdt