Other People’s Success Makes Me Angry
Recently I met a couple at a dinner party. The guy started to tell me about his recent trip to New York. I love New York and secretly take pride in how well I know the city.
As the guy was telling me about the epic trip he took all I could think was: “What do you do for a living to afford a trip like this?”. The helicopter ride over Manhattan, the incredible hotels, the whole tripe sounded pretty lavish and sounded pretty damn expensive. So I asked what he did for a living and was surprised to find out that he distributes a type of cream that is used to heal scars and skin blemishes. Nice, simple, tidy and extremely respectable business that clearly shoots the lights out.
But on the way home I started to get angry. I was angry that the things that I do take so long to work out. I was angry that his simple idea had taken off and that mine were still in their infancy.
I immediately felt guilty about this anger and my partner pointed out that this happens to me a lot.
I get frustrated and angry and analytical when I hear about other people doing well.
This is hard for me to admit because it comes across as jealousy but it’s something I want to get control of and explain a bit further.
I don’t dislike successful people or their success. I don’t judge them or begrudge them.
I’m angry at myself.
I’m angry that I watched that extra episode of Halt and Catch Fire last night. I’m angry that I didn’t work that tiny bit more on Sunday. I’m angry because there are a lot of hungry and driven people out there making it work and I should be working harder, faster and smarter to make what I’m doing a huge success.
I’m proud of entrepreneurs who have made it. I’m enhtralled by their stories and always so happy to meet them and hear about how they did what they did. I eat up every possible ounce of information and knowledge I can from these people but unfortunately sometimes I can sound (and feel) bitter.
That’s the nature of the beast. The beast is competitive spirit. I can’t say that I never feel jealous or irritated by other people. I do. And I’m sure they do too.
What I can tell you is that when I wake up the morning after meeting other entrepreneurs doing well I am more driven because success is that much more tangible. What I can tell you is that I feel like I’m competing with everyone and I want to beat everyone I encounter. That’s the nature of competitive spirit.
Meeting successful people helps me understand that it’s possible to build something incredible. I respect them for that but I don’t have to like it.