Quado, do you have an answer to this
question? Yes,
of course, of course.
First,
let us address the issue of envy. Envy can be a poisonous viper in your heart
or it can be a teacher. If you choose to, you can take a new attitude toward
envy, one which will open you up to new information about yourself.
When
envy comes to you, stop and look at it and ask yourself, what does this tell
me that I am missing? If you go to a concert and sit in the quiet dark of the
audience and feel intense envy for the person on the stage who is dancing, or
playing the guitar and singing, does this indicate something to you about your
need for expression, your need for attention, anything else? Is it time to
take that guitar out of the closet, time to take that dancing class?
If
you envy someone who is attractive and well-dressed, perhaps more slender than
you are, does this indicate to you that you need to pay more attention to your
body, that you need to instill more discipline in your life?
Often
envy is focused on those who have managed to be more disciplined, who have
managed to overcome cravings and procrastination, who have pulled themselves
out of the fog of self-absorption and turned those energies into action,
action which benefits them. For discipline, of course, is not a punishment,
but rather a gift that you give to yourself, a gift to manifest daydreams
through action, a gift of patience and perseverance which makes dreams come
true.
And
so look to this. See if you are hungering for discipline underneath the
permissiveness you have allowed yourself. See if you are yearning for the
effects of a true discipline which springs from a deep love for yourself, a
love which is deep enough to be translated into performing acts which will
enhance your life and show yourself and the world that you are much beloved,
much beloved by yourself.
Honor
yourself by giving yourself this gift. Express your love for yourself through
action.
And
this then leads to the second issue, which is your need for attention, for
love from an outward source. Again, this is really just an expression of the
poverty of self-love within. It is that simple. And the answers are two-fold.
First,
do spend the time you need to spend in meditation and quiet time alone,
filling yourself with love for yourself. And then, as we have already said,
translate that into action which will actually lead you toward what you wish
to have in your life. Act on your self-love. Do not merely fill yourself with
it energetically. Do both.
And
then, secondly, open up your life to allow the attention you crave. Are you
shy? Are you going home and spending time alone instead of going out and
meeting people? If you live like a hermit, afraid to interact with people,
only venturing out when you are within the safe cocoon of friends of
long-standing, then any little thing that happens may seem like a large
injury. If, on the other hand, you are out and about, interfacing with new
people all of the time, you will see things in a different way. You will learn
that if you say hello to 20 people, at least one or two will be glad to meet
you and offer the potential of a budding friendship. If, however, you only say
hello to one or two, you may not find the gems hidden among the group, those
with whom you can easily connect and who are happy to meet a new person. You
must open yourself to a wider world in order to reduce the sting of rejection
which comes.
And
yes, rejection will come, but it is not personal. When you go out among
people, and if you allow yourself to see the world with new eyes, you will
realize that people are all within their own shells, anxiously looking out to
see if they are protected, guarding against having their fragile egos injured.
In short, they are afraid and full of self-doubt. And so, when you approach,
they may defend. But it is not personal. And if you get out and about enough,
if you speak up enough, if you expose yourself bravely to life, you will begin
to be able to differentiate and to take things more easily, to let life flow
off you like water, not dig in deep like a painful injury.
It is an odd thing but true, that the wider you open yourself to the world,
the less harmful it is. The less you allow the world in, the more that little
entry may harm you. And so you close down tighter, allowing even less to come
in, and a vicious cycle beings.
Open
to life. Take that envy and turn it into action. Let it tell you when you need
to open up your life and expand. When you contract and feel the victim, when
envy wants to tell you that life is unfair, take it as a signal to go out in
life, to express yourself more openly, to speak up in a more expressive way,
to try new things, to meet new people. Open wider and wider and the little
slights and rejections will begin to seem like nothing compared to the
wonderful new things which are streaming in through the open doors.
About the Author:
Carrie Hart is the author of There is a Garden, the story of her
spiritual journey from stressed executive to spiritualist and channeler of
Quado. This book, Carrie’s CDs of original music, as well as daily messages by
Quado are available on
www.carriehart.com.
Copyright © 2004 by Systematique, Inc.
