Happy Sunday-now-Monday, Journeyer!
First up on the Happy Happens tribute list?
First week of Back to School is behind me!!
Woot! Woot!
As always, the return to the early morning six o’clock alarm is a little daunting.
Thankfully the first day back wasn’t a split shift, which meant I was able to entertain a much needed, midday nap!
My mood has been a little off this week, which is no doubt a combination of several things.
Back to work after a glorious, fulfilling break.
I saw a meme about a Mercury Retrograde; not sure exactly what it is, but I take it that this moon shift phase (or whatever it is) causes major energetic disruptions.
And lastly?
Envy.
Uh-huh.
Envy.
This week I’ve seen several posts from Glennon Doyle Melton and Oprah regarding the fact that this wildly popular author’s newest book, Love Warrior, is the talk show queen’s 2016 Oprah Book Club pick.
And before that I saw that Glennon has teamed up with the notable Brené Brown to teach a workshop.
It’s all been a little bit irritating. Honestly.
I’m usually happy for other’s success, so I began looking at what my emotions were telling me.
The first title for this post was going to be Jump-started by Jealousy, but then a little voice told me to check out the difference between Envy and Jealousy.
“Envy occurs when we lack a desired attribute enjoyed by another.”
A huge social media following.
A coveted book deal by one of the major publishing houses.
Not one, but TWO, prized “#1 New York Times Best Selling Author” titles.
Making a difference in thousands of people’s lives.
I’ve shared this story many times: A few years ago I went to a workshop facilitated by Hay House’s Reid Tracy. He repeated over and over that the three most important goals for writers who wish to be published are: 1) Platform. 2) Platform. 3) Platform.
He also mentioned in passing that a person with a 40K social media following might peak their interest.
What went through my head when I heard that number?
Well, I at least have the forty part.
But I wasn’t to be deterred; rather I just stuck to one of my Power Mantras: “Slow and steady wins the race.”
But here’s the thing, Journeyer, something I just realized: WE’RE NOT IN A RACE!
One of the first things The Five Facets Philosophy on Healing™ teaches us is that comparison can hold us back from living our best lives. When we use comparison to put ourselves down, to validate a belief that we don’t have everything we need to be successful and whole and to live our best life, it restricts our passion, our productivity, and our purpose.
There is no race against another person. There is no race against the clock, unless you’re late for your kid’s sporting practice.
I knew enough as I sat in that packed auditorium that I was moving forward as I needed to. I was empowered by Reid Tracy’s information because it acted as a guide for ways I could continue to improve.
The number gave me a sense of direction.
Unlike my recent encounters with The Glennon Doyle Melton.
About a month or so ago she announced that she is divorcing her husband, just as the launch of the book about her saving her marriage was going viral.
Her life was imploding and she was on top of the world.
How does that happen, I asked the Gods.
When I received her e-mails or saw her social media posts or her face seemingly plastered all over the internet, I felt myself turning all sorts of green. I felt all anxious and irritated and started feeling like I didn’t like her.
Of course it took me a little bit to recognize those emotions bubbling inside me, but when I did, I paused to ask myself why I was feeling that way. Glennon never did anything to me.
Two answers came from this question. One of them stems from some residual Borderline Personality Disorder stuff that rears its head now and again.
You see, a few years back I sent a letter to Glennon, one that went unanswered. Before I go any further, let me state that I understand how many hundreds of letters she receives and that she can’t possibly, possibly respond to all of them.
My heads knows this but my heart felt rejected. Classic Borderline.
The second bit of growth came much in the way that listening to Reid Tracy had come: I recognized that I still have work to do.
Glennon worked her ass off connecting with people, writing, and building that following. She hosted guest bloggers and she wrote on other sites, too.
She posted and posted and posted and updated and updated and, well, you get the gist.
So this week has been all about resetting my thinking and allowing myself to be energized by envy.
Possibility and hope and direction and goals make me happy, Journeyer.
And understanding that we are all different and we all come into ourselves and our dreams in our own ways and in our own time and in our own rights also makes me happy!
One of my other mantras has always been: “We can learn something every day if our mind is open to it; it might be something as simple as a person’s name, but we have learned, nonetheless.”
This week I learned that [Tweet theme=”basic-white”]We can either allow envy to be fuel for our fulfillment or fodder for our failures.[/Tweet]
I choose the former.
That personal growth is one of my week’s highlights, but when I wasn’t being all green and ornery because I was putting myself in the shadow of someone else’s success, I enjoyed these moments of happiness:
Abundant sunshine…
bird and wind chime and cricket song…
seeing the smiling faces of my returning and new students…
a rare sighting of four deer wandering through the field beside our barn…
spending a few minutes over lunch with a beautiful Lightworker…
gazing at some amazing nighttime skies…
checking a few things off my To-Do lists…
spending quiet time in meditation and manifestation writing and connecting with the other side…
the air conditioners that kept my house cool during the recent heatwave…
One of my co-workers reached out to me to ask how to help a friend whose husband died unexpectedly. I was honored that she felt comfortable enough to ask for my assistance and thoughts and proud to be able to offer her How to Help the Newly Bereaved, a book I co-authored in the Grief Diaries series.
a beautiful drive to one of Big Guy’s soccer games and the company of one of his friends…
and my week couldn’t have begun any better than by going to dinner with Beauty after she picked me up from the airport…
and Cracker Barrel’s pumpkin spice pancakes!
They are a little like Lucky Charms cereal…they’re magically delicious!
I can’t think of a better way to end this week’s post, can you?
What about you, Journeyer? We love reading your stories! Has envy every energized you? What moment(s) fed your happy this week? We want to know!
Until next time, yours in hope, healing, and happiness,