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not on an even par with them. He walks around depressed for days at a time when he compares himself to them. Because he views himself as an entrepreneur, not just a contracts attorney, he believes he ought to be able to accomplish what they have accomplished. |
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This is similar to saying that because I may work with someone in psychotherapy who is far richer than I am, I ought to be able to earn the same as they do. The fact that we serve people in a business or professional relationship has little to do with how we compare to them in financial or social status. But like the example just given, when these are the people you are relating to on a daily basis, it is easy to blur the boundary and start thinking you ought to be where they are. |
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Pay attention to how you react to the good fortune of others, gained from the stock market or any other way. Notice in what forms envy may arise for you. You can be sure there will be plenty of opportunities to notice these thoughts and feelings bubble up. Expect to feel envy at least occasionally, as long as you are surrounded by the glittering toys that others have and that you would like. |
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See if you can remember that you are not any less of a valuable person than someone who is more wealthy than you are. But the trick is to do this without having to put the other guy down. And as you notice yourself comparing to others, identify with their good fortune and try to muster up the good feeling you imagine they must be feeling. The green monster of envy can be quite painful. But it is one of those emotions that we choose to indulge in and one that, with a little practice, can be transformed into sympathetic joy, or at least a healthy form of neutral disinterest. |
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Every Moment at Just the Right Time |
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When we learn to live with our attention centered in the present, more and more of what the world presents to us can feel just right to us. More and more of what the stock market presents to us we can learn to accept with a measure of equanimity. To present something is to "bring it forth for consideration." What our life presents to us can feel just right for what we need, even if it is unpleasant or painful. We begin to sense the meaning of the Zen phrase that "every moment occurs at just the right time." |
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To be in this Tao, or perfect flow of life, requires a surrendering to the present, to what presents itself for our consideration. Whether |
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