Underline This Podcast

Jealousy.

One of the most insidious emotions we face.

Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th president of the United States and a larger-than-life figure, put it simply:

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Comparison is a thief with no fair exchange. It’s a virus that attacks your gratitude, your fulfillment, and your sense of enough.

This warning is timeless — and nearly every major religion has echoed it:

Christianity: “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house… nor anything that is thy neighbor’s.” 🏠🫏🌪️

Islam: “Beware of envy, for envy consumes good deeds just as fire consumes wood.” 🔥

Hinduism (Bhagavad Gita): “He who is free from malice toward others… is dear to Me.” ⛓️

Buddhism: Jealousy is one of the five hindrances to spiritual progress. ⛅️🚫

Sikhism: “One who is jealous of others suffers terrible pain.” 😬

The repetition of this message across cultures and centuries tells us something: jealousy is dangerous, and we ignore it at our peril.

But here’s the real question: How do we fight it?

Three Tools to Defend Your Joy

These are tools I’ve found from firsthand experience:

Practice gratitude 🙏 Analyze the jealousy 🔍 Take action 🔨

1. Practice Gratitude

As cliché as it may sound, practicing gratitude is as essential to our mental hygiene as brushing our teeth is to physical hygiene. It takes conscious effort — but over time, it rewires the brain.

Here are a few ways to start:

Journal 📓

Meditate 🧘

Count blessings before bed instead of sheep 🛌🐑

Pray, if you’re spiritual 🙏

Voice your appreciation in everyday life 🌤️

Even something as simple as complimenting the weather or thanking a coworker builds emotional resilience.

2. Analyze It

There’s an excellent School of Life video on flipping jealousy on its back.

The idea? When you feel jealous, don’t suppress it — interrogate it. Ask yourself:

Why am I feeling this way? What is this pointing to? Is there something I want that I’ve been ignoring?

Jealousy, when examined, can be a compass. It’s a form of self-discovery, showing you where your desires or dreams are buried.

3. Take Action

After reflecting and identifying what you want, it’s time to do something about it.

That could mean:

Taking a small step toward your goal. Celebrating what you do have. Being intentionally present with your health, relationships, or freedom.

For me, jealousy has shown up in many forms: from social media highlights to passing luxury yachts on the Julia Tuttle Causeway. And every time, it feels like temporary amnesia for all the good things in my life.

That’s why I meditate every morning. Sometimes it’s rote. Sometimes it’s powerful. But every time, it keeps the thief at bay.

A Challenge for You

I want to leave you with a challenge. Something hard — but transformational:

Practice gratitude Choose just one method from above and try it today. Do a thought experiment Think of the last time you felt jealous. Why? What’s missing in your life? Is it something worth pursuing? If yes — make a plan. Take action Act and be grateful. You might already have something others envy — don’t forget to enjoy it.

Don’t be a victim to the thief of joy.

Build top-tier security for your mind.

Defend it. And good luck in your defense. 💪

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