The mistake of envy.

“No one else has access to the world you carry around within yourself; you are its custodian and entrance. No one else can see the world the way you see it. No one else can feel your life the way you feel it. Thus it is impossible to ever compare two people because each stands on such different ground. When you compare yourself to others, you are inviting envy into your consciousness; it can be a dangerous and destructive guest.”  -- John O'Donohue

I think this idea is one we should really try to hold onto while traveling through this ephemeral human experience.  In the above quote, John O'Donohue compassionately reminds us how the misperceptions of envy can be dangerous and destructive.  Following his lead, I'd like to remind us that this destructive quality often manifests in subtle, insidious, and/or nearly imperceivable ways.  I think we have to be conscious of the ways in which envy can simply distract us from pursuing our own authentic paths.  This feels important to me because it suggests that even in the most passive manifestations envy can have very personally tragic consequences.