Emulate, don’t denigrate.
There is a very common – nearly universal – mode of human thought that goes like this: “That person has more of what I want than I do. Therefore, they’re my enemy, and they’re stealing from me and/or harming me directly, and I can only get what I want by villainizing them.”
This is so common that you might not even realize how many things people say that essentially boil down to exactly that phrase.
Here are some uncomfortable truths: 99% of people who are doing better than you in some area are completely unconnected to and unaware of you. They’re not taking out of your pocket and they aren’t stepping on you, even accidentally. They didn’t cheat. They might have gotten lucky or they might have worked harder or they might have made better choices, but they didn’t do it on your back. And even more uncomfortable: they would probably be delighted to help you.
Even if they aren’t helping directly, anyone whose success is visible to you is basically lighting a path for you. You can see what they’ve done!
Replace jealousy in your heart with inspiration. Worry not about what others have, but be curious about how they got it. Learn, find joy, and get better.
