that ole’ green-eyed monster

Today’s daily prompt is all about jealousy. The question when is the last time you were truly jealous of someone? Did you act on it and did it hurt your relationship?

Jealousy is not something I deal with often. (I have other issues. This just doesn’t happen to be one of them . 🙂 I don’t think I’ve ever been jealous of a person but I have been jealous of their skills.  I have a close friend who has torn down walls, put up drywall, refinished a bathroom and a kitchen, including the plumbing and electricity and is now tackling some other projects. But then I tell myself, I could do it too.  She learned by reading and doing. It wasn’t innate. I figure could learn by reading and doing as well. I just don’t want to. And if that sounds like, “I could’ve gotten a better grade if I’d studied more”, so be it.

I have another close  friend who is an amazing baker.  I’m not even close. I envy her flaky crusts. Her pastries are the best I’ve ever had and I’ve been to Paris several times, the epicenter of flaky pastry. Her pastry is better. Could I learn to make crusts as good as her? Probably. It just doesn’t interest me that much.  I’d rather eat the fruits of her labor than labor myself.

These same friends though would both tell you that they envy the skills I have. They would not even think about trying to create and administer a blog. They are technologically challenged. They are also directionally challenged which is why if we go somewhere together, I do the driving. When it comes to decorating, they see me as far more talented and seek out my advice before doing anything in their homes.

I think one of the reasons I don’t have a huge problem with jealousy is that I figure that given enough time and effort, I can pretty much accomplish what others can do given enough time and hard work. It’s not that I’m that sure of myself but that I know that I’ve beat some big odds through my tenacity and I figure tenacity is half the battle in learning anything. Boy, I hope that’s true for blogging as well.

Oops, I did think of one thing I do covet. Bloggers who have beautiful blogs with great pictures.They have all the bells and whistles, the great cameras. I can’t even find the bells and whistles. I keep refining my blog and everyday I pray for new knowledge. I keep my “WordPress for Dummies” and my  “Blogging for Dummies” books right next to my computer. I find getting this blog to look and act the way I want it to is hard work. The staff at WordPress has been great when I can’t figure it out myself and I try hard not to bug them unless I really run into a road block.

So maybe that’s the thing about jealousy.

As long as we’re pursuing something we’re passionate about, we don’t have a lot of room for envy. I’m glad my friends are able to do what I can’t.

I’ve never acted on my envy  so it’s never affected our relationship. I’m too busy pursuing the things I’m interested in to worry about what doesn’t appeal to me that much in the first place.

So the cure for jealousy? Find something you are passionate about and pursue it.

(ps. This was also posted to “depressionsgift.com”)