Social media presenting a constant slide show of everything going right in your friends and acquaintances lives doesn’t help either. Learning to be grateful for what you do have, and taking a long hard look at your life, and those of people less fortunate than you, can turn your jealous mentality around.
What’s more, jealousy is just another negative emotion that can lead to hopelessness and depression, if left unchecked. Break away from social media, break away from wanting what other people have, and learn to love what you do have, be that your body, your possessions, your partner or family. Even your pet. You will have something that people around you do not. Find it, and cherish it.
Stop Being Greedy and Be Less Selfish
This isn’t a personal insult, I promise. If you start taking the time to be more grateful, and focus on the things you have, rather than the things you don’t, you will become less self-absorbed and greedy.
As humans in a capitalist society, we constantly plot and machinate, trying to improve our social standing, monetary value or physical appearance. Thinking about yourself, and where you’re going all the time sadly makes you selfish and vain.
And most of us are vain! Look at social media, where we’re perpetually encouraged to post continual selfies, on a web page dedicated to the beautiful and fascinating creature that is us, and then we find ourselves wondering where our crowds of admirers are. Why do other people get hundreds of likes and I get nine?
Why do other people get hundreds of likes and I get nine? Getting trapped into these patterns of thought is depressing Click To TweetGetting trapped into these patterns of thought is depressing, and ultimately renders you self-absorbed and greedy. Greedy for attention, money, likes, whatever. You need to learn to be satisfied with what you already have, and turn that into your support structure, the thing that you look to, to keep you happy, rather than trying for even more social media likes.
Be Happier in General
This is basically a fact. If you learn to be more grateful, to count your blessings, and look at what you do have, rather than constantly wanting more, you will be happy. This plays into all manner of Eastern religious concepts, especially Buddhist ones. It’s a rejection of that rat-race mentality, and a conscious decision to stop yearning and start enjoying and living in the moment.
Your familial and romantic relationships will tighten, you’ll make friends easier, and you’ll stop worrying about what you don’t have. Learning to be more grateful can essentially teach you to be less self-centred, warmer and more open. It drags you out of yourself, and demands you respect and love the world and people around you.
