Catholic Questions - Jealousy

Sometimes I feel jealous of my friends. What should I do?

Feelings, in themselves, are neither good nor bad, even the unpleasant ones. But our feelings can teach us about how we think about life, sometimes in ways we don't even realize at first. For example, if we feel jealousy or envy, we might be thinking that the blessings someone else has takes something away from us. But this is NOT how it is in the way of love and goodness. The blessings that truly matter are like candlelight: the more others have, the more light there is in the world-and that takes nothing away from us. As with all feelings, I think the first thing to do is to call it what it is: "I feel jealous." Since you have done that, I have two additional suggestions: First, remind yourself that you already have what you need to be okay just as you are. You really don't need what someone else has. Second, look at your own blessings, and practice being grateful for them. For myself, the more I practice being grateful the more I realize how much I have to be grateful for, and the less I find myself feeling jealous. And there is always something to be gratfeul for.