“What if jealousy really is a matter of geometry,  just a matter of where we allow ourselves to stand in relation to another?  And maybe then we wouldn’t have to resent somebody’s excellence. We could align ourselves with it.”

–Parul Sehgal, An ode to evnvy

Sometimes envy can be our enemy, and other times it can be our motivation.  Its power lies in metamorphosis; when we transform envy into empowerment, we become our better selves, and open up a playroom full of possibilities.

Photo by Sasha Cox

Often times I’ve found myself wishing I could climb as strong,  nimble,  and graceful as the women around me who I admire and envy at the same time.

It used to be that I couldn’t stand to be around those women because I’d like myself a little bit less.  In transforming my own envy into inspiration – from resenting them for being better than me to wanting to surround myself with the best so that I could learn to be better – I’ve experienced my own personal transformation and growth.

Daring to be honest with myself and others about owning up to envy around other women has not been easy.  And yet I believe it really can be so simple – to perceive jealousy as a “problem of geometry,  not emotion”.

Once we shift our perceptions of envy the way we shift our body weight from one side to another on a tricky climb,  it’s just a matter of aligning ourselves with the optimal side – the one where admiration reigns, and anything becomes possible.  And that’s a pretty awesome place to be.