How to Use Jealousy (1 min read)

How to Use Jealousy (1 min read)
Photo by Artem Beliaikin / Unsplash

Jealousy was a roadblock for me when I started in sales.

After a moment of clarity, I worked towards a healthier mindset which has helped me in my career & life ever since.

I figured jealousy was part of my competitive nature. So I used that aggression to make more calls and attempt to close more sales.

But it ate at me. There was negative energy inside me, making me feel heavier on and off the clock.

"They're not feeling this," I thought about my competitors.

That's when I realized the only person impacted by my jealousy was me. It created a strain on me alone. And the tension didn't make me better for prospective clients.

This moment of clarity turned me towards a more helpful mindset: To use jealously as inspiration, not desperation.

I was jealous because I cared and felt vulnerable. A more helpful version is caring, being vulnerable, and combining the two as inspiration rather than separation.

If they could close sales, so could I. If people worked with them, they'd be willing to work with me. And if my competitors were doing better than me, I could learn from them. Disdain is a poor teacher.

When sparks of jealousy flare up in me now, I don't allow it to ignite. Instead, I leverage curiosity instead of envy. I'm much lighter & helpful to others as a result.