Envy is one of the “seven deadly sins,” and it’s something we’re taught to be ashamed of at a young age. But what if envy has more good than bad in it? This week, we’ll look at how envy can motivate you to achieve your goals and explore some common types of envious mindsets as well as ways to handle them.

The Green-Eyed Monster

You’ve probably heard the saying the green-eyed monster. It’s often used to describe jealousy in romantic relationships, but it can have other meanings as well.

Jealousy is a feeling of resentment toward someone else because they have something you desire. You might be envious of your friend who bought an expensive new car and want one of your own, or maybe you envy your coworker for winning an award at work that you wanted for yourself…

When we talk about jealousy and envy, it’s important to understand the difference between them—the green-eyed monster refers specifically to jealousy in romantic relationships.

Envy comes from a place of wanting what someone else has; this could be material possessions like cars or houses, but also experiences like travel or success in a certain field; things that often give another person pleasure sometimes make us feel left out and unhappy with our own lives (even if those things aren’t actually related).

You can use envy as a motivator to push your limits

Envy is a powerful emotion, but it can be used for good if you start to realize that it’s not about other people or their achievements. It’s about your own self-doubt, and what you need to do in order to push yourself out of your comfort zone.

It is a great motivator—it forces us to accomplish more than we thought possible because we want so badly to be able to reach the next level of success.

Here are some examples of how envy can lead to motivation:

• It leads us back towards our goals by reminding us why we’re trying so hard in the first place; when someone else accomplishes something amazing (like landing an amazing job), they’re showing us exactly what kind of person we could be too if only we put forth enough effort.
• Being envious helps guide our actions by providing specific goals (like “I want this job” or “I need more money.”); when people feel envy towards another person’s success in life or career path because it seems impossible for themselves at that time–it will become easier over time once other successes are achieved.

Sometimes, envy is neither good nor bad. It just is…

And that’s OK.

Being envious is a natural human emotion, and we don’t have to feel guilty or ashamed of it. You can use envy as motivation to push your limits and achieve greatness.

But if you let it hold you back, then yes, that’s bad.

So how do you know whether your envy is good or bad?

Well, there’s no simple answer to this question—it all depends on the situation at hand.

The only way to figure out whether your envy is harmful or helpful is by looking at what happens in the long run after experiencing it: if your actions ultimately lead you toward success (or even just improvement), then go ahead and accept that sometimes it’s OK to feel envious!

Envy can be a toxic force in your life, or it can be a great motivator for positive change

If you’re constantly comparing yourself to others and feeling bad about what they have, that’s not good. But if you use envy to get closer to your goals, it can be advantageous. Envy is often characterized as “the grass is always greener on the other side.” That’s because people tend to spend time thinking about what they don’t have rather than focusing on all their blessings and successes.

Envy may help you see what exactly it is that makes someone else so envious or successful—and then inspire you with ideas for how to create similar experiences in your own life!

You may not realize you’re envious every time

It’s possible that you have not realized that you are envious. You may not be aware of it because you do not want to admit it, or because you do not want to feel bad about yourself.

It is important to know what the effects of envy can be on your life and relationships, so that if you find yourself feeling envious, then it will be easier for you to recognize when this happens and address the issue directly instead of letting it simmer inside until it boils over into something more serious than just prideful feelings.

Envy isn’t always obvious to others

Envy is often subtle and hidden. You might not even realize that you’re feeling envious of someone else until they’ve left the room, or after they’ve told you how much they appreciate your friendship or kindness.

When we think about envy, we usually imagine a person who is openly jealous of someone else’s success. In reality, envy can be much more subtle than this—and it can take place without either party realizing that it’s happening at all.

Sometimes people are so used to seeing themselves as inferior that they don’t even notice when their friend begins doing better than them. Other times we’re so focused on our own achievements and shortcomings that we don’t notice when others begin doing better in areas where we feel vulnerable ourselves.

Envy is something we all deal with sometimes, but it’s up to us how we handle it

Envy is a natural part of being human, and it can be a motivator for positive change. However, you may not realize that envy is at work in your life until you are able to identify the signs and take steps to control it.

Envy can be a toxic force in your life if left unchecked and the first step toward overcoming its influence is recognizing that it’s there at all. While many people who have been hurt by others view envy as an obvious emotion (i.e., “I see why they’re envious”), this isn’t always the case: envy often hides behind other emotions like anger or resentment because these emotions are easier to recognize than jealousy itself.

Envy may be one of the most common feelings in the world, but it’s also one of the hardest to talk about.

So many people want to avoid talking about their envy because they fear being judged for feeling this way. However, we all experience envy at some point in our lives, so it’s important that we understand what makes us envious and how best to handle those emotions when they arise.

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