‘Jealousy’…it sounds like a simple word doesn’t it? However, its true definition is anything but simple. Sure, it’s all part of human nature but untamed, it can drive us to do things we only watch in movies!Because my friends always entertain me with their endless drama, I am forced to share. This girl (whom I love to bits) decided that she wouldn’t give her boyfriend any breathing space. She constantly irritated his phone searching for stray texts. Every night with the boys, she forcefully invited herself! When out together, if he so much as glanced away from his drink (and not in her direction) she jumped to ‘cheating conclusions’.Now as a friend, she is a sweetheart - the one person you want in your corner. As a girlfriend, she will drive you nuts! But even after countless embarrassing encounters, for some reason, he tolerated her. Every time his sister came around, she bickered about their ‘tightness’…something I found rather distasteful. When she found out a new girl had been hired at her man’s workplace, she conveniently made him lunch that day just to check her out! Misery is when she found that the new recruit looked like a million bucks! She then told her man it was about time to start looking for another job! She had no control over her jealousy and other insecurities; it became a full blown disease.There is always a cause for jealousy and once you have those causes figured out, controlling it will become easier. When jealous emotions come out, all you know is that you are feeling that way. It will be hard but you must pause every time you feel jealous and ask yourself why you feel that way. Is it self-esteem, or does the person you are with give you good reasons to feel this way? Do not feel stupid for feeling the way you feel – you have the right to express yourself. Acknowledging it is the first and most important step, so you are already on the right track!Taking control of your emotions will keep you away from unwanted territories, such as break ups, low self-esteem, depression and even an increased amount of jealousy. You will be able to focus on the more important things in your life and see things with a more clear and open mind, hence making better decisions and finding better solutions to life’s obstacles.
