Are you dissatisfied with your own achievements while others achieve success? Is it possible that your success is contingent on someone else's failure? When it comes to possessions, the idiom "keeping up with the Joneses" is widely used to represent the mentality of constantly wanting to keep up with our neighbors, as well as desiring to have the things that our neighbors have.
An additional term that might be used to characterize this state of mind is envious. This is a highly suitable term since it covers greed, envy, anger, and a great desire for something that someone else has, frequently at the expense of one's own well-being.
Unfortunately, it is a mindset that is prevalent across the globe today. For most of our childhood and adult lives, competition has been the rule rather than the exception. We are taught from an early age that our self-worth is determined by how well we do in comparison to other people.
At school, we have a grading system that assigns you a number at the conclusion of each semester. If you get the designation "pass number one," this indicates that you are the best in your class. If you "pass number 25," it signifies that there are 24 other kids who are better than you are at the same level as you. To be number one and "win," you must ensure that all of the other youngsters "lose" and pass number two or higher.
Wait a minute, why aren't all of the students in the class able to pass number one? What is the point of comparing one kid to another? It is possible that a simple pass or fail comment on the report card will suffice without the need to provide numerical values. Unfortunately for children, parents are extremely concerned about these figures and take them seriously.
This is true throughout one's life. If the boss wants to maintain his position as the company's top dog, he must make certain that his subordinates do not get an excessive amount of information or credentials. On the contrary, he may be forced to purposefully undermine attempts by his subordinates to advance their careers.
There are a variety of factors that contribute to the prevalence of envy. In the first place, being jealous of another person's achievement indicates that you are unlikely to ever be pleased with your own accomplishments. The reality of the matter is that there will always be someone who does better than you in some aspect of your life.
For the second time, it indicates that you have no idea what you want out of life and are resentful of other people's accomplishments. Just because the Joneses have it or are doing something does not imply that you should have it or be doing it as well. Do you think it will assist you in accomplishing your own aims and "minding your own business?" In the event that you have a clear vision for your life, it won't matter what another person accomplishes or acquires: you will be aware of precisely where you are in life, why you are where you are, where you must go, and what must be done in order to get there.
Third, if taken to its logical conclusion, jealous individuals would attempt to stifle the advancement of others and, if feasible, to completely halt it. The result is that, rather than channeling their energy into their own success, they channel it into this extremely unproductive mindset: backstabbing, sabotaging, and destroying at every opportunity, and spending their prime time thinking about others rather than thinking about ways to improve their own situation. As a result, you will become successful!
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The Breatharian Blogger
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By The Breatharian Blogger4 years ago in Motivation
“The Man Who Never Missed a Day”
When I was 17, I met a man who delivered newspapers in the rain. Not in a casual, half-hearted way—but fully committed, every single morning. He would leave his house before sunrise, his coat soaked, shoes falling apart, and the wind cutting through him like a knife. Yet, despite the cold and wet, he smiled at everyone on his route. To a teenager like me, it was both confusing and inspiring. I remember the first time I saw him struggle with a bundle of papers that seemed almost too heavy for him. He slipped on the wet pavement, muttered something under his breath, and kept walking. When he reached the next house, he knocked on the door, handed over the paper, and smiled as the door closed. That smile was strange to me—it wasn’t pride or satisfaction, it was… calm. Almost peaceful. Curious, I approached him one morning. “Why don’t you take a day off when it’s so hard?” I asked, shivering in my hoodie as the rain soaked me through. He laughed, a deep, gravelly sound that didn’t sound annoyed, only knowing. “Son, nobody cares about today,” he said, shaking his head. “What matters is tomorrow. You build your life the same way: one small effort, every day, even when nobody notices.” At the time, I didn’t understand. My life felt urgent, like it had to explode with success immediately. I was chasing big ideas, jumping from project to project, leaving most half-finished. I thought motivation was everything—without the spark of inspiration, nothing mattered. The idea of showing up every single day, even when tired, even when bored, even when invisible, felt almost insane. I watched him for weeks. Rain or shine, he was there. I started noticing small details I hadn’t seen before—the careful folding of the papers, the way he adjusted his wet coat to protect the bundle, the extra minute he took to smile at a child running out to grab the paper. Every morning, the same ritual. Every morning, the same effort. And yet, nobody cheered. Nobody noticed. Years passed. I went to college, chasing my own “big dreams,” my own versions of instant success. I started businesses, abandoned them; learned new skills, stopped halfway; made promises to myself I couldn’t keep. I told myself I was working toward greatness, but mostly, I was chasing the idea of success, not the work itself. Motivation was my fuel, and when it ran out, I stopped moving. Meanwhile, the memory of that man stayed with me. The quiet diligence, the smile in the pouring rain. I didn’t realize it at the time, but he had already taught me the most important lesson: consistency matters more than talent, and persistence matters more than inspiration. Years later, I found myself struggling. A career path crumbled beneath me, a relationship ended badly, and my confidence had hit rock bottom. I remembered the man with the newspapers. I thought about how small, invisible efforts can be the hardest to trust—because results are not immediate, and recognition is not guaranteed. Yet, he had shown me that those small efforts accumulate, slowly but inevitably, into a life that cannot be ignored. I started experimenting with this principle myself. Every morning, I wrote 500 words for my stories—even when tired, even when uninspired. I practiced my skills quietly, without posting or sharing. I did the work not for applause, but because it mattered to the person I wanted to become. Some days, it felt like nothing was happening. Some days, I wanted to give up. But then I remembered the man with the newspapers, and I kept showing up. It didn’t take long before I started noticing changes. The words I wrote flowed better, ideas connected in ways they never had before. People began noticing my work. Small victories became more frequent, and my confidence started to rebuild. What had seemed like meaningless, invisible effort had quietly transformed my life. That man never became famous. He never went viral. He had no thousands of followers, no awards, no recognition. But every paper he delivered, every smile he shared, every step he took in the rain—it all mattered. Each day of consistent effort built a life he owned completely, a life he could be proud of. I realized then that success is not a moment. It is not a sudden flash of recognition or a single lucky opportunity. Success is the sum of the quiet, consistent decisions we make when no one is watching. It’s the choice to wake up when it’s easier to sleep. It’s the decision to work when it’s easier to scroll on your phone. It’s the effort we put in when the world doesn’t applaud. And the truth is simple: showing up every day is more powerful than talent, motivation, or luck. Talent fades. Motivation fluctuates. But showing up—every single day, rain or shine—creates results you cannot imagine. Just like the man in the rain, your efforts may not be recognized immediately. People may overlook them, circumstances may feel unfair, progress may seem invisible. But over time, the cumulative effect of your daily effort will speak for itself. One day, the world will notice. One day, your consistency will transform your life. So, start today. Don’t wait for motivation. Don’t wait for inspiration. Show up. Every day. One small effort. One action. One step at a time. Let your grind be louder than your excuses. Because the man who never missed a day wasn’t special. He was ordinary. But through persistence, he became unstoppable. And so can you.
By Ihtisham Ulhaq5 days ago in Motivation
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