Kick Envy Out Of Your Friendships And Enjoy Better Relationships

Envy can rob you of many happy moments with your girlfriends if you are not careful.  Envy is a particularly difficult battle for women.  Men don’t tend to fall into the trap of envy as often or the same way that women do, probably because most of their relationships don’t go as deep as women’s do.  Women get deeply close to the friends in their life which can be a wonderful blessing but it lends itself to envy creeping in.

What are we women typically envious of?  The subject of our envy can vary but some of the most common sources are weight, appearance, finances and style.  We envy our friends weight loss, gorgeous hair, lack of financial stress or creative style of dressing.  It can be tricky to see because envy can actually start out as admiration.  We admire something of our friends and before we know it, it has spiraled into an ugly green eyed monster that neither of us like.

So what can you do if you feel envious of a friend? Start by replacing those negative thoughts with thoughts of happiness for your friend and thankfulness for them in your life.  This is a conscious choice you have to make but is very freeing.

Realize we all have our struggles.  Your friends may not be as visible as yours but you can rest assured that they have them and if you are close enough, you probably know what they are.  You may struggle with your weight but your gorgeously thin friend is struggling to hold their marriage together.  Envy has a way of creating a reality that isn’t accurate.  Fix that by choosing to see reality.

Celebrate your uniqueness.  Maybe your friend is awesome and someone that is admired by many.  That doesn’t diminish who you are and your worth.  Be confident in being you.

Image Credit: Mirror