Jealous or Zealous?

I've been thinking a lot about jealousy lately. So I did what I usually do when I'm fascinated with something: I looked it up in the dictionary. Well, I was surprised to find out that the origins of the word "jealous" actually trace back to the word “zeal.”

What is “zeal?” It’s “fervor for a person, cause, or object; eager desire or endeavor; enthusiastic diligence; ardor;” it’s “intensity, passion, enthusiasm,” and the like.

It got me thinking: What if instead of getting “jealous,” we got “zealous?” What if when we saw something we wanted in someone else, we got passionate about cultivating that in our own lives? What IF we could see jealousy not as an enemy but as a great friend who can help us be, do, and have more of what we want in life?

Over the years, I’ve come across a few sayings about jealousy. One is “Compare and despair” and another is “No use comparing your insides to someone else’s outsides.” Do we really know what’s happening on the inside of that person we’re jealous of? If you knew everything about that person, would you still want what they have?

Let’s remember that it’s an abundant universe and there’s plenty for ALL of us. As Ernest Holmes, the founder of Science of Mind, put it, “Since no two persons are alike there must be a unique place for you in the scheme of things. The Divine Pattern would be imperfect without you.”

Play Time: So today, I dare you to not compare yourself to anyone else, but to be zealously yourself, to love and embrace the unique gifts and talents you bring to the world, to honor your piece of the puzzle of life. What are some ways YOU uniquely contribute to the world around you? I’d love to hear!