Envious or jealous? Green is a positive colour.

Feeling envious or feeling jealous? What's the difference? Why does it matter? 

Imagine someone you know is on holiday. They start posting numerous social media pictures of their fabulous hotel and of the white sandy beach. Does this inspire you with ideas for a future holiday? Do you feel like saving up and planning something for yourself? This may have started as a feeling of envy that encouraged you toward positive motivation and action. 

Or do you mumble and groan about the number of times you see their 'I'm so happy on my holiday' face across your screen? Do you start to say things to yourself like, 'I'd not want to be there anyway' (even though, you admit, it looks exquisite). Or perhaps, 'Too many creepy crawlies and I noticed they'd been bitten by a mosquito already!' The thoughts started as envy, then quickly escalated into a negative, jealous response. It's like wanting to stop someone else's fun. To not share in another person's vivid experience of life. 

Other people can seem to have it all, can't they? Maybe they can. Or maybe they have put in considerable effort to save up, to forge a successful career, making sacrifices in order to take annual holidays. Holding onto envy will lead to jealous thoughts. It will keep you trapped if you are constantly comparing yourself with others. Preventing you from focusing on your positive characteristics and achievements. You are the only invitee at this 'pity party'. 

Worst of all, it erodes self-confidence. It will stop you from building greater self-esteem. 

Or do you feel good about other people's success even if they appear to have 'more' material things, bigger homes and more exotic holidays than you? Do you positively rejoice in other people's happiness? Feeling excited for others is going to lead to more positive feelings for you. That should be less painful than feeling bad about another person's happiness. 

Perhaps next time you get a little green eyed, remember, an occasional bit of envy is OK. Just make sure it leads to the grass being greener on your side of the fence. Focus on your own grass and leave others to theirs.   

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About the Author: Angie works as a hypnotherapist, counsellor and coach at the Norfolk Clinic Complementary Healthcare Clinic, 38-40 Magdalen Road, Norwich, NR3 4AG. 

Call Norfolk Clinic reception on 01603 660792 or call Angie directly on 07773 610816. She loves helping people achieve their potential at work, in life and finding greater happiness using a range of therapeutic techniques.

Love doesn't need to hurt

If there is one thing that can hurt more than anything, and from seeing and hearing the impacts of this in my work, it is the pain and consequences of a relationship ending.

Doing the 'leaving' may seem right, or it might have felt right at the time. It may be a pattern of someone choosing to end relationships once the initial euphoria and 'spark' has worn off. Unconsciously or consciously looking for the next exciting new lover in the same way that a drug addict chases the next 'high'.
Sadly, it can also be a person not believing they are worthy of being loved. It doesn't matter how many times they are told or even shown they are loved, they cannot believe it for whatever reason. As a result there is a need to escape or to push the other person away. Indirectly or directly achieving what they believed in the first place, that they were not worthy of that other person.

Or it could be that jealousy interferes with the relationship. A person fears what their partner might or might not be doing. They in turn are over-vigilant with their partner and it can damage trust. Clinging to their views about the relationship. In response the other person may not be able to match what the other desires and the relationship tips further and further out of balance.

The root of the upset often lies within an individual. Their experience has made them distrust others, they sometimes lack confidence and seek to have the relationship on their terms, instead of a mutually comfortable partnership. It does not matter what the experience - it is possible to overcome their past and look forward to a happier future. It may take a bit of work - and is it not worth investing in yourself if you are to invest your feelings in a relationship with someone else?

In order to look for a long term, healthy and stable relationship it helps to see beyond the first fizzy, heady exciting part of romantic love. To look and understand the person who may actually be the perfect partner. So what if they are a great kisser? (well of course it's nice) But - how do they cope under pressure - easily or angrily? Are they confident with others? Do people describe them as happy/ kind/ gentle/ fun or moody/ sulky/angry? How does that compare with what you thought when you had those first dates?

I know it's easy to write this, and I know, much harder to put some of this into practice! It can be achieved - you just have to step back a bit. What is equally important is knowing what you like about yourself. Gaining self-approval opens the doors to a happier state of being and of finding someone else to share that with and who respects you for who/ what you are.

Want more than a fling? Here's my top tips:
* Consider what you like about yourself - or, what do others value in you?
* Let go of trying to please someone else
* Look beyond the initial spark of a relationship and pay attention to what the other person is really like and how others describe them
* Create free-time for each partner, to do things separately - allowing breathing space in a relationship can be good for both of you

You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection ― Siddhārtha Gautama

About the Author: Angie loves helping other people achieve their potential at work and in life and achieving happiness using a range of therapeutic techniques. Available via skype, telephone as well as face to face. Based in Norwich, Norfolk, UK.