Written by
Susie and Otto Collins who are professional relationship
coaches and today, they can help you overcome
jealousy problem once and for
all...
Is
Jealousy a Problem for
You?
Jealousy can be
a problem in any type of relationship. Whether you are jealous
of your loved one, a friend, an acquaintance or a co-worker,
the effects are the same and they can cause trouble in your
life.
You can have jealousy issues
with other people's things, their success, their beauty, their
athletic prowess, their relationship, their kids, their
education, their money, and their life. It can be a tiny
feeling in your gut or it can be an overwhelming sensation of
fear that drives you to say and do things that you wouldn't do
otherwise. In its extreme, it can lead to divorce and
separation from others.
Jealousy can creep in when
you least expect it and it's always a signal to look within and
discover what's underneath it. Thinking that it will go away if
you ignore it will only prolong your anxiety and
challenges.
In fact, jealousy is almost
never just about the jealousy itself and what seems to be
happening on the surface like flirting with another person.
It's usually about whatever is lurking underneath that needs to
be uncovered and dealt with. It might be a broken heart from a
previous relationship or it might be low self esteem
issues.
One thing we know from our
own experiences and from the experiences of our clients is that
the first step to changing anything in your life is first to
become aware of your feelings and the reasons why you want to
change.
These are feelings that
separate you from other people and destroy trust. These
feelings may be anger, fear, sadness, or anything else that
close you down and don't allow a connection with those you
love.
We've discovered that you can
stuff your feelings and deny that they are there until they
become so big that you are forced to deal with them, or you can
acknowledge what you are feeling and make the commitment that
you are ready to have another experience in your life. You are
saying that you are willing to do what it takes to heal that
part of yourself.
When it comes to overcoming
jealousy, no matter how it shows up in your life, it doesn't go
away until it is acknowledged and there is a strong desire to
do whatever is necessary to change and heal it. You also can't
point your finger outward at others. You have to be committed
to changing yourself.
Here's a quick example of how
jealousy can manifest itself and a couple of tips for getting
to the bottom of it.
One of our coaching clients,
Steve found himself being jealous of his wife for no apparent
reason.
He kept denying his feelings
because he knew that his wife was faithful to him but he kept
blowing up at her and flinging accusations in her way for no
apparent reason.
Steve knew that he had to do
something about his jealousy when his wife told him that his
jealousy had gone too far and that he needed help.
Steve committed to finding
out where his jealous feelings were coming from. He took some
time alone to get quiet and feel what he was feeling when he
was jealous and put words to those feelings.
Then he asked himself some
questions like "What feelings are at the root of my jealousy?"
and "What do these feelings remind me of?"
He wrote his answers as he
asked himself these questions and he was able to get a glimpse
of what he needed to heal within himself. Fear of abandonment
was at the root of his jealous feelings. He was afraid that his
wife would leave him. These feelings reminded him of a previous
relationship when he was left.
By dealing with his feelings
head on, he was able to create a healthy relationship with his
wife.
If you are having challenges
with jealousy or any other strong emotion that could
potentially wreck your relationships, we invite you to look
underneath and see what the real problem is.
Then you can commit to
working on and healing these challenges and committing to
making some changes for the better in your life.
For a free mini-course on
healing jealousy, visit No More Jealousy
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