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Envy as an asset

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Of all the negative character traits, envy is the only one with a redeeming factor. A healthy dose of envy is even good.

Think of it as fuel to drive you on your way to success or contentment. Don’t worry. It’s perfectly normal for people to look at others and wish to have what they have, partly because it is in our nature to make changes and partly because we really are not easily contented.

The trick is to use that envy to better your life instead of using it to fuel your hate.

Use your envy to make changes for the better. Let’s say, for example, that you saw your friend’s new home and think it’s very nice. You can either wallow in self pity that you do not have the same house or be jealous and start to distance yourself from that friend.

What if you use that envy instead as a blueprint? Think about how you can also make your own home better or get the home you want. Or in business, for example — the other account group is a consistent top grosser and you really wish to be on the top, too.

The negative way is for you to start bad-mouthing the manager or the members or the company. The positive way is to observe and apply the way the other group works to your own. Wouldn’t that be better? You not only benefit, but your group gets a more positive outcome, too.

You see, envy is that little flavor that makes competitions exciting. You can also use your envy to channel your energies to a worthy goal or to refine your ambition.

Use the person you envy not as someone to compete with but someone to emulate. For an athlete, it could be following your idol’s moves or training methods. For an entertainer, it could be practicing the same techniques.

In business, it’s called benchmarking. The key is to focus on the reason why you like your idol and try to be like him/her. You might find that you can’t exactly duplicate their style or rise to their level of fame, but trying will give you an idea on how to do it on your steam.

Who knows? Maybe you can even find a better way and surpass your model.

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