Swapping envy for joy
Comparison is the thief of joy. ―Theodore Roosevelt
👥 Serves: 1 person
🎚 Difficulty: Medium
⏳ Total time: 11-30 minutes
🥣 Ingredients: A quiet place with no distractions, comfortable clothing, and an open mind
🤓 Wholebeing Domains: Awareness, Community, Positive Emotion
💪 Wholebeing Skills: Abundance, Acceptance, Contentment, Mindfulness, Non-judgement, Optimism, Peacefulness, Perspective, Relating to Others
Swapping envy for joy
📝 Description
A meditation exercise that transforms envy into joy.
The word “Mudita” simply does not have an English equivalent that encompasses the true meaning. The closest words we have are “sympathetic joy”. “Mudita” is a Buddhist concept, and is one of the four “Brahma-viharas”, meaning of the heart, which is a principle that focuses on insightful mindfulness.
In the age of global connectivity, the internet, and social media, the creeping feeling of envy is common. You might catch yourself thinking, “I wish I could travel as much as them”, or “Wow, I wish I had their job, they are just so successful”, or “I wish my apartment was as nice as theirs”.
Yet, envy keeps you stagnant, jealous, and unsatisfied. It takes us away from our reality and the innate beauty of things we should be grateful for that is right in front of us. Envy and jealousy of others can take us down a spiralling staircase of self-judgement and negative self-talk. By imploring the Mudita Meditation, you can work on catching yourself when you feel envious to recalibrate your thoughts.
This recipe has been inspired by Buddhist thinking and adapted by our wellbeing content writer collaborator Marissa Del Mistro.
👣 Steps
Step 1 – Settle into your meditation (5’)
Find a peaceful and quiet location that is free of distractions. Wear something flowy and loose and find yourself in a comfortable seated position.
Step 2 – Reflect on who/what made you feel envious (5’)
From your comfortable seated position, close your eyes. Without judgement of your thoughts, think of the person or event that sparked the feeling of envy. You may wish to think of that person, their name, their voice, or perhaps the thing that they have that you wish you had instead.
Step 3 – Acknowledge your similarities (10’)
Despite many differences, at the heart of humanity, we all simply wish to lead a life in which we feel accepted, loved, and live free of pain. We are all navigating this confusing rollercoaster of life without a navigation guide and no idea what is around the corner.
Recognise and acknowledge that the person you are feeling envy towards is just the same. They too have hopes, aspirations, difficult times, laughter, goals, and people they care about. Focus on what bridges the gaps between your differences and spend a few moments reflecting on that.
Step 4 – Expand your heart (10’)
Consider how the other person might be feeling. They are likely feeling proud, joyful, satisfied, and maybe even relieved about their recent accomplishments and good fortune. Relish in that positive emotion as you try to expand your heart to allow the envy to float away and be replaced with genuine happiness and pride for what they’ve done. You might wish to try opening your heart and expand your mind further by repeating mantras out loud such as:
- “My heart is happy and proud.”
- “May your life be filled with accomplishments and joy. May my life be filled with accomplishment and joy.”
- “Just as I wish for mine, may your life be filled with calmness and joy.”
- “Just as I wish too, may your life be filled with happiness and success.”
- “I wish only good to others and welcome goodness into my life.”
- “There is enough space for us all to achieve success.”
- “I proudly lift and support those around me.”