When Good Things Happen to Others: Are You Genuinely Happy or Just Pretending?
As I was scrolling down on Facebook, I saw one of my friends, who is currently on a European trip, posting photos in their stories. I felt a deep sadness in my mind.
I am no stranger to these feelings. I experience the same when I see younger generations enjoying life to the fullest, sometimes making me think, ‘Have I enjoyed myself so far?’
These emotions intensify when I open LinkedIn and see that some start-ups have closed huge funding rounds and are sharing their amazing plans to conquer the world.
I have always asked myself: when I see good things happening in other people’s lives, am I merely pretending to be happy, or am I genuinely happy?
As someone who has practised daily meditation for over a year, I am now very capable of identifying my own emotions and making an impartial judgement.
From that ability, I can definitely conclude that I am genuinely ‘happy’ when I see others doing well. However, the factors that bother me are the tendency to compare myself with others.
I consider myself extremely talented and capable, and navigating my life reasonably well, but deep down, I am a high achiever who constantly sets the bar high, which backfires at times.
I believe the greatest success in anyone’s life is to be content and fulfilled with where we are in our journey. I do try, and meditation helps, but I still occasionally fall into the trap.
Sometimes, I think it’s all part of progression; that’s why I contemplate these feelings and write about them on Medium. Otherwise, I would continue to experience the pain and sadness, becoming entirely trapped in that negative emotion.
I am glad that, at the very least, I know the way to get out!
What about you?
Are you someone who actively deals with your negative emotions, or do you continue to build them up, making your life miserable?
