Controlling anger and jealousy for success
Md. Saifullah Azad :
Once upon a time, a peculiar bird with exquisite feathers and a tail touched down in a far-off kingdom, capturing the interest of everybody.
With two beaks, one for eating a lip at a time, this bird was unique.
The bird, on one unfortunate day, took off and flew far away, finding a vast orchard full of lovely, ripe fruit.
“I have never tasted such delectable fruit in my life!” one lip was saying to the other as it was devouring the fruit.
The other lip pleaded for a bite, but they were too overcome with resentment and jealousy to share the fruit.
Desperate for retribution, one lip ate a toxic fruit, killing the other as well.
This story is a potent metaphor for the negative effects of rage and jealousy.
Envy and fury, sometimes referred to as “the enemies of success,” can seriously hinder a person’s potential to find inner peace and prosperity.
Anger is akin to a self-inflicted poison in the quantum domain of emotions since the one experiencing it suffers while they wait for the person they are furious at to suffer as well.
Anger becomes a poison that weakens the mind when it remains unsaid. Strangely, even our closest relationships suffer when we take out our frustrations on the people we love.
The Bengali adage, “The closer, the more friction,” illustrates how our strong emotional bonds and elevated expectations make us angrier of our loved ones when they fall short of our standards.
Conversely, jealousy results from a failure to recognise or value other people’s success.
It is a resentful mindset towards people who have succeeded or obtained things that we have not.
The fundamental characteristics of jealously are an inability to tolerate other people’s happiness and an unwillingness to partake in their joy.
Envy and rage are only two examples of emotions that can sap mental toughness, which is necessary for success, and obstruct the flow of mental energy.
Just like a few drops of blue dye can contaminate a bucket of water, resentment and jealousy can also do so if they are allowed to grow and weaken a person’s mental fortitude.
These feelings produce a never-ending storm of pessimistic ideas, spiteful fantasies, and malicious intents that make it difficult to concentrate and focus on productive endeavours.
Gaining the love and cooperation of people in order to accomplish shared objectives is essential for success in life.
But envy serves as a wall that keeps someone from getting into the heart of another.
Your latent animosity makes people uncomfortable and creates space in your connections, even if you might not express it clearly.
This makes it almost impossible to have a healthy relationship with someone you’re jealous of.
Furthermore, the majority of spiritual and religious traditions prohibit both anger and envy.
Envy and rage are viewed in a lot of scriptures and texts as negative emotions that impede one’s ability to connect spiritually and have divine communication.
For instance, the Vedas counsel, “Free the heart from envy,” highlighting how crucial it is to rid one’s heart of jealousy.
“There is no fire like anger, no devouring like hatred,” is a statement from the Dhammapada that emphasises how devastating anger and hatred are.
Furthermore, according to a hadith, genuine love and devotion are shown by a pure heart that is devoid of animosity and fury.
It becomes clear that the only way to break free from the hold of resentment and jealousy is to forgive.
It is imperative that one forgives others to the extent that one wants to be forgiven by God.
Since they know that God loves those who love others in return, great individuals show their generosity by forgiving others.
We can find inner peace and let go of the heaviest negative emotions when we forgive.
The heart must be cleansed not just of anger but also of jealousy.
If someone has made you feel envious, ask God to release the envy along with blessings and good vibes.
Giving back to the community recognises that although jealousy drains one’s inner reserves, giving up enhances the soul.
Giving back to the community is therefore an effective way to combat jealousy.
Meditation is a very powerful tool for overcoming these bad feelings. Mental clarity and inner tranquilly are developed via meditation.
One can develop an affluent mindset and learn to wish others well by doing meditation.
It is simpler to accept other people’s achievements and to stop comparing oneself to them when one has this newfound mental clarity.
One must set themselves free from the bonds of resentment and jealousy in order to achieve inner peace and tranquilly.
When someone’s heart is content, they won’t be disturbed by outside events or the accomplishments of other people.
People can focus on self-actualization and self-improvement in this calm state, which guarantees a prosperous and peaceful life.
Last but not least, the fable of the bird with two beaks serves as a potent warning against the destructive effects of jealousy and rage.
These feelings are detrimental to relationships and the psyche, making it difficult to achieve success and inner serenity.
The secret to overcoming these bad feelings is forgiveness and meditation.
We can free ourselves from the burden obstructing our advancement and reach a condition of inner peace that prepares the path for a prosperous and happy life by letting go of jealously and forgiving others.
(The author is a senior finance
professional. )
