Friendships are one of the many blessings of life, giving comfort, pleasure, and love. Even the strongest bonds are often strained by jealousy, rivalry, and competition. These sentiments can be quite stressful, especially when regarding career or personal achievements or even relationships with others. It’s very easy to overlook our achievements when our friends are doing well, too. Below will unveil the vision of handling jealousy and competitiveness of friends to create healthy connections.
Understanding the Roots of Jealousy
Jealousy in friendships is usually caused by an inferiority complex and rivalry. When friends make attempts to compare their worth, people develop feelings of insignificance. For instance, if one friend obtains a great achievement in their life, a dream job, for example, the other friend may find themselves feeling jealous and doubting themselves. Awareness of jealousy as being normal in friendships can save friends from fighting. This means that friends can discuss their feelings with each other since they know the main cause of the conflict.
Open Communication
There must be good communication to manage jealousy within friendships. If you experience feelings of jealousy, bring it up in a polite manner. Don’t let feelings of resentment accumulate. Instead, engage in an honest conversation with your friend. Express yourself in an assertive manner, not aggressive. Use “I” messages such as: “I realized I was jealous seeing you with other friends.” Asking your friend about the way they feel can also open greater discussion, helping both parties become more perceptive to each other.
Cultivating a Supportive Environment
Developing a supportive environment in your connections plays an important role in eliminating feelings of jealousy and competitiveness. Learn to rejoice in the success of your friends. Competition does not have to be mutual, and recognizing the achievements of your friend can strengthen the bond instead. For instance, when your friend gets a new job, make an effort to congratulate them and tell them you are proud of them.
Focus on Personal Growth
If you can stop focusing on how your life compares to the lives of your friends, you’re more likely to succeed. It’s important to have individual goals that are aligned with your interests and don’t give up on them. This can prevent feelings of inadequacy whenever one feels like they are being left behind by observing a friend’s achievement. Making your friend feel independent towards their goals will be helpful for the two of you to work on your friendship by growing together.
Practice Gratitude
A remedy to jealousy in friendships is to practice gratitude. Think about the strengths of your connections, what special traits your friend has, and the impact they have on your life. It may be useful to write things within your friendship you are grateful for. This could be a particular time they helped you or made a funny joke. Telling these things to your friend will help reduce feelings of jealousy and competition within the friendship.
Final Thoughts
Accept the fact that everyone is on a different path altogether. Challenge yourself to select goals that correspond to your personal preference and work for them as much as possible. Such an attitude will also alleviate the sense of inferiority when comparing oneself to one’s friendships because of the achievements made. Moreover, it helps contribute to the growth of the friendship, as both people promote each other’s personal development.
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