Like Harold Coffin said, “Envy is the art of counting the other fellow’s blessings instead of your own.” It usually comes from people’s lack of belief in their own abilities and accomplishments. This feeling is peculiar to everyone. Some people struggle with it, while others suffer from envy and can do nothing about it. If you find yourself starting to feel envious over what others do or have, here are 7 ways to overcome envy.
1. Find positivity within yourself
It’s terrible to be envious of people, because you can lose control of your inner self. You should be happy for the person you are envying. It is possible to change your thoughts. If you replace them with positive ones, you will have an opportunity to rid yourself of envy. Let people enjoy their advantages, otherwise envy will destroy good and healthy relations within the circle of your friends.
2. Think of your own success
Don’t compare your achievements to other people’s goals since it makes you miserable and envious. All-sufficient people usually focus on what they have. Comparison develops critical thinking, but steals joy and buoyancy. That’s why, mind your own blessings, if you want to obtain peace of mind and become more successful.
Read also – 7 Negative Thoughts about Yourself that You Need to Overcome
3. Life is not fair
Life is a wonderful thing, but unfortunately it’s not fair at all. You should accept it, because it’s hard to disprove this truth. Try to do your best to reach your goals and make your dreams come true. Don’t worry about things you can’t change, accept them and you will definitely feel yourself happier.
4. People may have worked hard to be successful
We usually focus attention on what do others have, but we don’t realize how hard they may have worked for what they have. Some of them had to go through fire and water to become rich and successful. Others can be still head over ears in debt and continue taking chances to make a go of it. Don’t hanker after one’s prosperity and realize that everyone gets what they deserve. This exhausting feeling usually makes people’s mind weaker.
5. Don’t let it spoil your inner self
If you are not careful, envy can eat you up. This terrible feeling can easily destroy you. Sure, it takes practice and time to overcome envy, but it will make your life much happier. Motivate yourself to achieve all your goals and stop thinking of someone’s success.
6. Your time will come
Don’t become disillusioned with your dreams. Every person usually faces ups and downs. Good fortune is not a constant thing. Let other people celebrate a bit of good fortune. Keep in mind that your time will come and then others will be bursting with envy.
Read also – 7 Best Ways to Stop Being Jealous
7. Think about other things
If you can do nothing about your obsessive feeling of envy, then turn attention to something else. Occupy yourself with various activities to free the mind of redundant thoughts. Why not plunge yourself into a favorite hobby? This can help you overcome envy and spend time doing things you like.
We all choose our own path to move on in this life. You need to overcome the feeling of envy, because you just waste your energy and your precious time. I hope these tips will help you to fight envy. Do you know any other ways to overcome envy?
8. Practice gratitude daily
One of the most effective ways to combat envy is to cultivate a daily gratitude practice. When you regularly acknowledge what you’re thankful for, your mind naturally shifts from focusing on what others have to appreciating your own blessings. Start each day by writing down three things you’re grateful for, no matter how small they may seem. This simple habit rewires your brain to notice abundance in your own life rather than scarcity when comparing yourself to others.

That Harold Coffin quote really hits home – I never thought about envy that way before. I’ve been struggling with comparing myself to colleagues lately, so this came at the perfect time.