Jealousy… | #AtoZ #LetterJ #nonfiction

…I don’t know how to finish that sentence.

Hi! I know you stopped by looking for an A-Z post of a short story, or perhaps the craft of writing. Perhaps you even looked so far as to see that my theme is “Catching Up.” Well, while I did spending a couple of days “catching up”, so at least on that point I’m on theme, there may actually be no fiction or writing talk.

I thought I was behind, but I’m totally not behind! I’m right on time! That means that, conceivably, I could start scheduling posts!

*crickets*

BWAHAHAHAHAAAAA!

*snicker*

*snort*

Now that that particular joke is out of the way, let’s talk about my choice of J word for today.

I get jealous. Do you?

Or rather, do you admit that you do?

And is jealousy healthy?

Or is it really a deadly sin? *googles* Nope, not a deadly sin. Tsk.

Well, I get jealous. Not too often, but sometimes.

Sometimes it’s helpful. I see someone with something they’ve worked hard to get that I want, and I start working harder to get it, too.

Sometimes it’s less helpful. I see someone with something they’ve worked hard to get that I want, and I just get upset that I don’t have it, too.

I wonder what the difference is?

Oh, hell. That’s a rhetorical question, and you might realize it.

Mindset.

Mindset is the difference.

If I can be in a mindset of self-confidence, then I know I can get that thing, too. I can see all the hard work that went into the thing, whether it was working hard to build savings to buy the thing, or working hard to earn well-deserved recognition, and I can see how if I put in the hard work, I too could have the thing or earn the recognition.

If you can be in a positive mindset, jealousy can be a motivator instead of a trigger.

I don’t know who I’m telling that to, if I’m telling you, or reminding myself.

Maybe a little bit of both.

Probably.

Most likely.

Okay, I’m caught up, now.

Loves!