JumpStart Fun at Work Day (4/1/24)

Big Idea:    It’s human nature to make judgements.  Scientists hypothesize that making comparisons is a survival technique - we need to constantly compare new information to what we know/remember to ensure that we didn’t eat the poison berry or poke the bear (again).

In our uber-social society, that innate strategy of comparison can lead to personal unhappiness and discontent.

ENVY is when we compare ourselves to another person and want what they have.  I can feel envious when I talk to someone who is a published author and I am not.  I can feel envy when I look at social media and see all these people who seemingly have it all together and I look at my own life and see a sink full of dirty dishes, a stack of unpaid bills, and a Dad bod.
Envy also implies a lack of acceptance and gratitude for everything that one already has in their life.  How do you combat it?  Honestly and truly feel gratitude for what you have.

JEALOUSY is similar in that you are wanting something other than what you already have.  The difference is that there is another person involved.   Envy is between you and one other person, while jealousy includes a third party.  I feel jealous when my wife pays more attention to the dog than to me.  Jealously rears its ugly head when my boss compliments my colleague more than me.  In each of those examples, two other people were involved.

To me, jealousy implies a lack of self-confidence.  Why should I care if my boss compliments my colleague when I know I’ve done gold-star work?  Working on jealousy can take a lot of inner work that I think starts with how we talk to ourselves.

The English proverb, “Envy shoots at others and wounds itself,”  illustrates how these emotions end up hurting the person who feels them and why they are emotions worth noticing and becoming curious about when they arise.
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This Week, Try This:  The next time you’re scrolling and end up wanting something someone else has, ask yourself WHY this post made me feel this way, and WHAT in your life you are proud of, or that you hold close to your heart.  Then sit with the gratitude for a bit.

Quote:  "The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves." (William Penn)

Educator Resource:  Illinois State SEL Newsletter - The six Illinois SEL Hubs (plus CPS) have pulled out all the stops this year, and have done a bang-up job spreading the word about the importance of incorporating SEL in schools.  We recently held our State SEL Conference in Springfield and had the opportunity to listen to great keynote speakers and meet people f2f.  Be sure to check out the 3-minute video on page 1 that summarizes the importance of the work we’ve been doing.  Shout-out to Hannah Bailey at ROE #4 (Boone/Winnebago) for creating the newsletter and video!

Dad Joke:  I went to school for magicians but failed the final exam.  They were all trick questions!

I hope your week is fantastic! Feel free to respond to this email with comments/questions/suggestions (including your favorite Dad Joke!)
~Matt Weld, SEL Coach