"N-n-now that that don't kill me/Can only make me stronger..."'Stronger,' Kanye West
There's this horrible disease going around; you may have heard of it. It begins with a series of symptoms that are sometimes easy to miss: fear, insecurity, lack of self-esteem or self-worth. Often, people who come down with this ailment mask it so well, one can't readily diagnose the illness, but often, like a virus, the disease spreads; a contagion that floats from one unhappy, miserable soul to another. But the irony is, the illness is borne out of the negative wishes and intent to do harm to others.
Envy, little brother to Jealousy, is a silent killer disease that is dangerous to everyone involved. Projections of self-doubt, magnifications of personal problems, the result of missed opportunities, the learned behavior of a heritage of failure and low self-esteem, are all reminders of who you aren't and who you wish to be. Think about it. And he who suffers the greatest would act on those symptoms, the one driven so mad by envy he would go out of his way to pass his disease to you. The one who has time on his hands to fabricate stories, weave tales of lies and hope for your demise surely has very little going on for himself. No job? Failed or failing relationships, marriage, parenting? Can't get a project off the ground? Financial struggles? Sounds about right. The universe has a way of balancing actions. (Uh, "karma," anyone?)
What kind of person makes themselves ill in this manner? Why want what others have anyway? Other's destinies are rewards and results of their lot, whether by chance, by prayer, by sweat, or perhaps by means that they themselves will answer to at another time. The trappings of success, beauty, wealth and even love are very specific to individuals. Just because that guy’s fashion line is successful, doesn’t mean yours would be, even in the same market. That girl’s nose on you would not guarantee you the cover of the magazine. Money is funny – not everyone gains or spends it with the same results. And love, well love is the tricky one. If one is envious of a situation, be it a romantic relationship, a marriage, a friendship or family, we completely miss the point of those situations: all are built on love. Jealousy and envy are not loving emotions, so the more one expresses negative action towards loving concepts, the farther away one places himself from just that ideal. In short, the negativity behind jealousy and envy backfires, with the intended target not the only victim.
So, hate on, hater. I guess since you would commit suicide over me proves you actually love me. Damn, I'm flattered.
"Fortunate is the One who has learned to admire, but not to envy."
-- Unknown, quoted as a Ramadan blessing
