Envy is a littleness of soul, which cannot see beyond a certain point, and if it does not occupy the whole space feels itself excluded.  -William Hazlitt, Characteristics, 1823  

You were born to reveal greatness. Not in some distant time, but here and now. Your greatness is unique to you. You cannot mimic another’s revelation of greatness and achieve your life’s purpose. For no matter how great the works of another may be or have been, you are called to do the greater works.    

Henry Ward Beecher offered sage counsel on this matter when he said: “Greatness lies, not in being strong, but in the right using of strength; and strength is not used rightly when it serves only to carry a man above his fellows for his own solitary glory. He is the greatest whose strength carries up the most hearts by the attraction of his own.” Your strength is not made possible by the weakness of others. In fact, your strength is enhanced by the strengths of others, just as a strand of rope is fortified by the other strands into which it is entwined.  

Complementation is always preferred over comparison, for comparison inevitably leads to envy, wishing you had what you don’t. No matter what brand of envy you buy (and it comes in many flavors, e.g. thinner, taller, richer, happier, friendlier, better known, less well-known, more powerful, less responsibilites, etc.), you are likely failing to bring to the table what you can, typically at a critical time. It was once said that envy “shoots at others and wounds itself.” Why compare yourself to others? The wonderful thing about people is that no two are alike. We each bring something special and vital to the table.     

Roman Senator and historian Cornelius Tacitus wrote: “When men are full of envy, they disparage everything, whether it be good or bad.” Isn’t that true? Envy constrains to bitterness. Bitterness smothers joy. No one can take joy away from you, but you can choose to give it away by swallowing the bitter pill of envy.  

Every moment spent in envy is time lost. According to Honore de Balzac, French novelist and playwright, “Envy is the most stupid of vices, for there is no single advantage to be gained from it.” What you lose while caught up in envy is irreplaceable: time that you could have used to express greatness through what was available to you or perhaps time that you could have spent complementing and thereby adding value to the lives of those around you. Your greatness depends on your ability to help others to express their greatness.   

If you do not “occupy the whole space,” as William Hazlitt noted, then keep your chin high and patiently do what can be done so that a larger vision can develop in and through you. Don’t resort to comparison, complaint or envy. Littleness of soul is not your destiny, greatness of soul is.     

Fill your day with greatness today, my friends!