let me share something with you jealousy is a wild animal it is one of those silent dangers that can disturb your peace your relationships and your personal progress everything however many people do not even know how to identify it when it is right in front of them they assume it's just a little rivalry a bit of competition or perhaps some harmless Envy but jealousy is far more serious than that it is like a toxin and if you are unaware of its signs it can sneak up on you even from those closest to you the Bible
puts it plainly in Proverbs 274 wrath is cruel anger is overwhelming but who can stand before jealousy you might be wondering how does this affect me believe me if you are out there pursuing your goals building your life making moves and living authentically there will always be people watching some of them will not be cheering you on they will be observing waiting for you to stumble hoping you falter and wishing for your failure these are the people who are extremely jealous of you recognizing them early is essential because once you notice the warning signs you
can take steps to protect prot your peace sign number one they can't be happy for your success have you ever experienced someone you thought supported you someone close to you suddenly become distant when good things happen whether it's a promotion a new relationship or even a small positive event in your life they might stop calling act off or simply pull away that is jealousy and it is very harmful as CS Lewis once said when someone shows you who they are believe them the first time their reaction to your success reveals far more about them than
it does about you often we are eager to celebrate with those we consider on our side your happiness is their happiness right but when jealousy shows up things start to change you receive that long awaited promotion that significant Milestone you've dedicated months or years to reach and instead of receiving congratulatory remarks you are met with silence or even harsh criticism the Bible teaches us in Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who Rejoice weep with those who weep a true friend or supporter will stand by this principle celebrating your victories as if they were their own but
when jealousy enters the picture that Joy is replaced placed with resentment or indifference this type of criticism is not helpful it dredges up past mistakes or old issues that have nothing to do with what you have just accomplished why because they cannot bear to see you move ahead and do not think you are overreacting for noticing this Behavior it happens more often than you'd like and it is painful because you expected support but jealousy is not about you it is about them their Envy is rooted in their own self-doubt and fears of inadequacy or unfulfilled
aspirations when you succeed it reminds them of what they have not done which makes them feel inferior and question their own value instead of using your success as as a way to improve themselves they take it as the reason to undermine you this becomes even more difficult when it comes from a friend family member or someone you trust you may start to wonder am I reading too much into this am I overreacting the simple truth is you are not you are simply recognizing the behavior of someone who is not truly happy for you and that
is acceptable understand this their jealousy is their own issue do not internalize it or let it affect you a real supporter will stand by you lift you up when you succeed and celebrate with you even if they are going through challenges themselves if someone cannot do that it might be time to reconsider their place in your life your accomplishments belong to you and no one can take that away sign number two they throw shade disguised as advice there is always someone who has something to say about your actions regardless of what you do they pretend
they are looking out for your best interests but deep down you know there is something else at work it is never really about helping you it is about making you question yourself and your decisions they don't state it directly instead they present it as advice as if they are simply suggesting a better way to do things however if you really listen you'll understand that their words are aimed at making you feel insignificant and insecure about your choices as CS Lewis wisely said it is not the critic who counts not the man who points out how
the strong man stumbles or where the doer of Deeds could have done them better the credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena their so-called advice often comes from a place of jealousy not genuine concern they are spectators not participants they do not offer offer genuine advice they offer subtle criticism under the pretense of concern they will tell you how you should have handled something or how you could improve all while ignoring the fact that what you are doing works well for you this is not about self-improvement it is about exerting control
and making you feel less than enough if someone continuously insists on telling you how to run your life without celebrating your victory iies that is a serious warning sign this behavior is jealousy a mask for their own insecurities sign number three they talk behind your back but never to your face if you have someone who always comments about you when you are not around yet never addresses it directly that is a clear sign of jealousy this behavior is sneaky and can easily go unnoticed if you are not careful they will greet you with a smile
and act as though everything is fine but once you leave they start gossiping spreading rumors and speaking negatively about you as CS Lewis wisely said great minds discuss ideas average Minds discuss events small minds discuss people their behavior speaks volumes not about you but about the smallness of their own mindset they attempt to diminish you because they cannot accept that you have something they desire they see you living the life they wish they could and it bothers them deeply they refuse to celebrate your success choosing instead to try to damage your reputation spread misinformation or
misrepresent your words it seems as if by speaking about you behind your back they hope to drag you down to their level they remain silent when you are present because they know you would not tolerate their behavior face to face face and if you confront them they may accuse you of being overly sensitive thereby making you doubt your own judgment sign number four they try to compete with you in every area of Life have you noticed how some people just can't let you breathe every time you achieve something they're right there copying your moves you
buy a new jacket and suddenly they've got one too but with a slight twist you visit a new place and they swoop in trying to outdo your experience with something bigger it's like you can't take a single step without them following right behind the Bible speaks directly to this in Galatians 6 Verses 4 to 5 each one should test their own actions then they can take pride in themselves alone without comparing themselves to someone else for each one should carry their own own load it's a reminder that life isn't about outshining others it's about focusing
on your own path and finding pride in what you accomplish but these individuals don't seem to get that they're not living their own lives they're constantly trying to outdo You Everything feels like a contest to them it's as if they have this invisible scoreboard in their head and every time you succeed they feel like they're falling behind instead of celebrating your wins they mimic your style your actions even your Social Circle acting like your life is a race they're desperate to win but here's the truth this isn't about improving themselves it's about trying to shrink
your accomplishments the more you succeed the harder they try to compete while pretending to cheer you on they don't realize you're not competing with them you're just living your life sign number five they make everything about themselves have you ever been in a conversation where you're sharing your wins or your challenges and the other person just cannot let you speak every time you mention something positive they feel the need to bring up a larger accomplishment of their own every time you discuss a hardship they immediately begin talking about their own difficulties as if theirs are
far more significant they never truly listen to you they are too busy turning the conversation to focus solely on themselves the Bible offers us a clear antidote to this behavior in Philippians 2: 3-4 do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit rather in humility value others above yourselves not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others true humility allows us to listen celebrate others successes and support them without making it about ourselves as CS Lewis wisely said most people do not listen with the intent to understand they
listen with the intent to reply this captures the essence of such Behavior they aren't truly hearing you because they are too focused on turning the spotlight back on themselves when someone is envious they take over every interaction turning any opportunity into a chance to highlight their own importance if you have a success they find a way to make it seem unimportant as if your hard work did not matter this is not about helping you feel better it is about making themselves feel validated and important they twist The Narrative so that your achievements seem to pale
in comparison to what is happening in their lives they do not want you to shine they do not want to hear about your progress because it forces them to confront their own lack of accomplishment sign number six they find ways to belittle your achievements you work hard reach an important Milestone or accomplish something significant and then someone comes along with comments that make it seem like it was nothing special they might claim you were simply fortunate as if your success uccess was nothing more than luck or assert oh I could have done that better the
Bible speaks to this in Ecclesiastes 44 and I saw that all toil and all achievement spring from one person's Envy of another this too is meaningless a chasing after the wind Envy drives people to downplay the hard work and dedication behind success reducing it to something insignificant to soothe their own insecurities what they are really doing is minimizing your achievements because they cannot bear to see you succeed they cannot accept that your hard work resulted in success and try to make you feel undeserving they want you to believe that your accomplishments are trivial as a
way to cope with their own fears and failures and if you point this out they might turn the conversation around making you feel as if you are too sensitive for s celebrating what you have earned sign number seven they try to make you feel guilty for succeeding when you are out there achieving your goals there will always be someone who can't stand it there are people in your circle who see your progress and wins and instead of being inspired they try to make you feel guilty about it they might not be overt about it but
their words and actions send a clear message they want you to feel remorseful for doing well the Bible puts it plainly in Proverbs 14:30 a heart at peace gives life to the body but Envy rots the bones their Envy is not only harmful to their own well-being but it also becomes a tool to drag others down they might say things like must be nice or I wish I had it as easy as you implying that your success is a personal affront to them this is jealousy in its pure form these individuals view your win as
a loss for themselves instead of admiring what you have done or using it as motivation they twist it into something that makes them feel diminished and inadequate they do not wish to see you succeed because that forces them to face their own shortcomings they would rather pull you down than allow you to continue advancing the truth is Success is Not not a competition with others there is plenty to go around if someone feels unsettled by your progress they will try to convert your achievements into burdens suggesting that your success is unjust as if you did
not earn it but you did you worked diligently made sacrifices and gave your all you have every right to celebrate and take pride in your accomplishments I want you to be very clear on one thing jealousy is not about you it is about the other person those who are jealous simply have not learned how to be content with their own lives they struggle with their selfworth and are not at peace with who they are which leads them to project their insecurities onto you when you succeed it serves as a reminder that they have not achieved
what they desire instead of using your success to motivate themselves to do better they choose to diminish your achiev M ments to feel a sense of relief in their own shortcomings CS Lewis reminds us in Mere Christianity pride gets no pleasure out of having something only out of having more of it than the next man this perfectly encapsulates jealousy it's not about your success but how your success makes them feel about themselves I am not suggesting that you change others or excuse their behavior what I am saying is that you must protect your peace and
maintain your energy when you identify jealousy in your life and notice these warning signs do not allow it to consume you do not let it distract you from your goals or lead you to doubt your value you are not here to lower yourself or or dim Your Shine for anyone you are here to Excel and continue progressing regardless of what others feel at the same time do not allow jealousy to harden your heart or turn you bitter do not let it make you distrust those who are genuinely supportive people who are envious are struggling with
their own issues but you do not have to shoulder their pain recognize these behaviors protect your well-being and keep moving forward your success reflects your hard work not their shortcomings every achievement you have earned is yours alone and no external negativity can take that away way now that you understand the signs take a careful look at those around you who is genuinely encouraging and uplifting you and who is trying to hold you back who truly supports you and who is simply pretending stay focused be selective about who you allow into your life and protect your
energy because you have important goals to achieve and no one's jealous Jey is worth this distraction let me be clear this may sting a bit but you need to understand jealousy is not just an emotion that people experience it is a result of their inability to be happy with their own lives it might be easy to feel sorry for those who are envious but you must not let their jealousy become your burden it is not your duty to fix their problems or heal their emotional wounds W that responsibility lies solely with them when you notice
jealousy in your environment do not become angry do not waste your time trying to prove yourself or win their approval you will never succeed at that instead keep your focus on your own path concentrate on your goals and remain true to your purpose envious people are merely distractions trying to pull you away from what truly matters with their drama and negativity you have a bigger Mission and you can't allow anyone's jealousy to derail you keep in mind that just because someone is envious does not mean they have no redeeming qualities they are human too with
their own struggles and challenges sometimes you may even feel compassion for them because deep down they desire the happiness and satisfaction you have created created for yourself but always remember you earned everything you have you fought for it made sacrifices and worked tirelessly you did not get to where you are by catering to the Envy or insecurities of others you are not here to make everyone feel comfortable you are not here to lower your standards because someone else is not willing or able to reach them your path your achievements and your happiness belong solely to
you and if others cannot celebrate that with you it only shows where they stand in life not you let me be honest for a moment jealousy can be very harmful it can break relationships ruin friendships and strain even the closest bonds and it gets even more complicated when the jealousy comes from someone you care about when a loved one is envious it can feel like a betrayal it can hurt deeply but once again you must protect yourself guard your heart maintain your personal space and be careful about who you allow into your life not everyone
who Smiles at you has your best interests in mind some are simply waiting for you to make a mistake so they can say I knew you couldn't do it do not let that happen do not allow their Envy to make you question your worth or shake your confidence you cannot let it stop your progress what should you do stay focused continue working hard keep striving for excellence continue pressing forward even when you sense negative energy from those around you you do not need anyone else's validation or Applause because ultimately your success is for you you
are doing this for yourself for your family for your legacy and you will not let anyone's jealousy stand in your way remember jealousy might not always come from strangers it may also come from people you trust like family friends or co-workers that is the most painful part because when turn jealousy comes from someone close it can feel like a betrayal it may hurt but you must protect your well-being keep your spirit strong your heart safe and your mind focused if someone is envious of you that is their issue not yours they need to work on
their own challenges and find inner peace let's be clear just because someone feels envious does not make them a bad person jealousy is a natural human emotion we all experience it sometimes what matters is how you deal with it do you let it turn into bitterness or resentment or do you use it as motivation to work harder and improve yourself that is what sets apart those who remain stuck from those who continue to move forward if you want to safeguard your wellbeing and keep your life free from the negative energy jealousy brings you need to
stay alert notice the signs when someone is always criticizing you unable to celebrate your winds gossiping behind your back competing with you in every situation or making every conversation about themselves when you see these patterns and understand what is really happening you can put an end to it you don't have to engage in their drama just continue being yourself keep working hard keep progressing and keep shining because in the end your success belongs solely to you no one can take that away not their Envy not their hatred not their negativity you have earned every bit
of what you have and you should never feel sorry for who you are here is the challenge do not allow jealousy to hold you back do not let it become a distraction or a barrier you have so much to offer so many achievements ahead and no one's Envy can change that so continue pushing forward keep putting in the effort and continue achieving you are unstoppable and when you notice jealousy emerging when you hear Whispers behind your back remember it is not about you it is about them keep your head high your eyes focused on your
goals and move confidently because the best response is living your life so well that others cannot bring you down
