Posts Tagged ‘jealousy’

Jealousy Can Destroy You!

December 18th, 2009

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Jealousy+Can+Destroy+You!-a01073863165
thefreelibrary.com

Jealousy can be regarding to anything or anyone, in a relationship, friendship, work, anything, and it is a very bad experience for the person who is on the receiving end Jealousy can have a really bad impact on your life
Jealousy can be regarding to anything or anyone, in a relationship, friendship, work, anything, and it is a very bad experience for the person who is on the receiving end. Jealousy can have a really bad impact on your life. It can make you loose the job, lose friends, or even break up with your spouse. So if you have such a behavior and are aware of it, then you should try coming over jealousy. Getting rid of this affliction is not and easy task but you can surely eradicate it with time. Many relationships are broken just because of a partner feeling jealous about her/him going out with another person. This is because you do not believe your partner and tend to be jealous. You don?t trust him/her and with this you possibly ruin you?re as well as your partner?s life by breaking up. This means that if you are affected with jealousy than not only you have to suffer but also the ones that are closely related to you.

Jealousy at work place is seen in many people; you start thinking that why you aren?t being given the wage increase or being given a higher post. You start hating the person who got the increment or promotion even if she/he happens to be your friend. But did you ever ask your self that you deserved the wage hike or promotion more than him/her? Possibly you might be aware of your jealousy but cannot control it as it has reached a very high level. Before ruining your life try overcoming it. But there is nothing to worry about; you can get rid of jealousy with the help of hypnosis.

Hypnosis can help you come out of this terrible state of mind with ease, now you might be thinking how hypnosis can help you in this regards? We get jealous when are mind is guiding us in that way to think. Our mind is the one that has been taking in all the negative aspects this results in negative thinking, and this is the way you are behaving. So if your mind were to be guided positively wouldn?t you act, behave and think in the positive manner, meaning without being jealous. This is where hypnosis comes into play; hypnosis will take your mind to a subconscious state, where in all the negative thoughts will be replaced with the positive ones. Ones all this is done you wont ever feel suspicious about your partner neither will you feel jealous.

Hypnosis treatment means that you are supposed to take out your important time for those sessions with your Hypnotherapist, this is not something everyone will relish especially with the ones that are busy the whole day. This is when a self-hypnotizing process will come handy for you. This treatment is available on the Internet; you can download the contents and start using it. With this mp3 content you will be given the positive thoughts and you will stop assuming that your partner betrayed you. Many have already used this to overcome jealousy, so can you?

Workplace jealousy: It shoulda been mine!

December 18th, 2009

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/living/2003975075_jealousonthejob26.html
seattletimes.nwsource.co
By Sheila Norman-Culp

Anyone who has not experienced jealousy at the office is either lying or in deep denial.

What happened when he got the promotion that you didn’t? When she was assigned the top client that you weren’t? When it was so blatantly obvious that your talent left your colleagues in the dust — but nobody seemed to notice?

Jealousy is such a primal emotion that it’s hardly possible to stop the feeling. Just watch any toddler erupt when a sibling starts to play with his toy. Yet being jealous is so destructive and unattractive in the workplace that you need to be able to dissect and control your emotions.

You also need to successfully fend off jealous attacks from co-workers.

Your own worst enemy

The Greek philosopher Antisthenes hit the nail on the head: “As iron is eaten by rust, so are the envious consumed by envy.”

Uncontrolled feelings of jealousy — and the behavior that accompanies those feelings — can make you a workplace pariah.

Robert Vecchio, a professor of management at Notre Dame, found that people who envy others at work were associated with lower self-esteem and higher levels of Machiavellian behavior.

“If you let envy impact you in a negative way — like getting angry or feeling worse about yourself — it will affect your productivity and your quality of work,” said Gary S. Topchik, author of “Managing Workplace Negativity.”

“You will become bitter, you will start venting, and pretty soon you will have a reputation as someone with a negative attitude,” Topchik said.

So the more jealous you act, the more you set yourself up for future failures by displaying traits that make it even less likely you will be promoted.

When jealousy is OK

Counterintuitive, but it can be true: If another colleague’s glory spurs you to redouble your efforts toward your own success, then yes, a touch of jealousy has been a force for good.

“If someone was sitting next to you and now they are promoted, jealousy can be a very positive emotion if it enables you to become more proactive about your own career,” Topchik said. “That person has become a role model, shown you a possible path to take.”

A study of bank tellers by researchers John Schaubroeck and Simon Lam showed that those who were the most envious of a colleague’s promotion displayed higher job performance in later months than those who were not as jealous.

If you are jealous because you think promotions were unfairly handed out, or because your firm values traits you don’t think are important, jealousy might prompt you to think more deeply about your job — and that’s never a bad thing.

The table turns …

What if others are jealous of you?

Never underestimate the damage that jealousy can do to your career — it is one of the underlying causes of workplace bullying, which has serious health and career consequences.

Nigel Nicholson, a professor at the London Business School, tells anyone who has just been promoted that they need to consciously change their attitudes and routines toward co-workers in order to fend off attacks of jealousy.

If a colleague is thinking, “They are just the same as me, why did they get promoted?” jealous feelings are surely coming. But if you demonstrate a specific expertise, put in longer hours, dress and act more professionally, co-workers might recognize that you are, in fact, different. They still might not like your promotion, but they can at least acknowledge valid reasons for it.

What can a boss do?

Doesn’t jealousy spur competition, and isn’t that a good thing for American business? Why should managers care whether their employees are jealous?

Well, they need to because jealousy is so destructive to productivity.

“Quite often people are jealous because of a misconception,” Topchik said. “Communication is essential. Listen, find out why the person feels that way, that alone might ease the situation.”

Managers also need to make sure workers know office polices. Be fair in handing out assignments and show appreciation to all. The more secure employees are about their own abilities, the less they worry about others.

Topchik says workers should find out why a colleague was promoted so they can better understand what talents their company is looking for, then talk to their manager about how to increase their own chances for promotion.

Jealousy – The Ego

December 18th, 2009

http://spiritualcompassconnection.com/jealousytheego.html
spiritualcompassconnection.com

Jealousy is a green bug that needs to be squashed. This is an ego emotion (one of many) that is based out of fear. Jealousy comes in many forms. Whether it be you are jealous of your partner talking to a person of the opposite sex1 or the jealousy you feel for your sibling who has the most perfect job, partner, etc. Jealousy tends to stem from your own lack, desire of something and fear that you will never receive this. Whether it is that perfect job that someone else has or that perfectly thin body, car, material possession(s), spirituality, peace and harmony that another seems to have and you want it. These are all things you can have if you desire and faithfully know deep down you deserve. However, till you realize that, this feeling of jealousy, inadequacy and/or lack is something of a challenge to conquer. In either case, whether you receive that faith or not, jealousy is yet another useless emotion when taken to the extreme and not turned around for the better.

Jealousy with your partner

This one is a biggy and that is the only reason I am focusing more greatly on this particular type of jealousy issue. I recently had a discussion with the person I am seeing and we talked about how we are two “cool” people who don’t need to feel jealousy over friendships of the opposite1 sex. If he ends up reading this article, feel flattered! :) I feel there is a male & female dynamic in friendships that is crucial to evolving. Yes, you gain a great many benefits from the relationship you are in, but there is something else you gain from having friendships of the opposite sex (as well as same sex friends too!). Being jealous of such friendships only shows how untrustworthy you are feeling of the relationship you are in, how insecure you feel about yourself and/or your relationship or your fear of being abandoned.

There are many reasons for feeling jealous of the opposite1 sex, but it is not necessary. This, of course, discounts the fact of when your partner actually tries to make you feel jealousy by blatantly flirting with others. Then there is a deeper issue at hand. Know this: If your partner has a wandering eye, then respect yourself enough to move on. More importantly, if your partner is wanting to go elsewhere, LET THEM. They are not meant to be with you if they are searching elsewhere. And you are not meant to be with them. There IS someone else who is your match. Basically, being jealous of your partners interactions with others is futile, since they will (hopefully) move on if they feel they should and that is okay. You will move on as well and find someone that truly IS your match and not someone who is only “close” to it. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want someone who’s only close to my match. I prefer having my true match. Make sense?

Throughout your life and spiritual evolvement you try as hard as you can to follow your heart, your bliss and likewise you would hope that your partner wants the same for you. So in that same respect, do you not want the same happiness and bliss for your partner. Letting them follow their heart, wherever it may lead is crucial to their existence and growth, as well as your own. You two can grow together as you follow your truest life’s path. :)

I remember in the past, I had relationships where the man was jealous of any minor chat, conversation or mention of the opposite sex I may have had. They were also usually only placing this “rule” on me and not themselves, so this was a big double-standard that I never failed to point out to them. Somehow, this in combination with dating a variety of men out there that (let’s suffice it to say) had a disrespectful wandering eye, caused some insecurity and jealousy conditionings within myself, that I needed to UNcondition. I had lost my self-love and didn’t feel I deserved the best for myself. How dare they cause such fear in me. More to the point, how dare *I* let them.

Don’t appease others jealousy on you either. When you give in and let someone else stay in *their* jealousy and fall away from, an otherwise, normal routine of “being” and doing what you must, you give THEM your power. You fall away from living in your truest self. You start to lose otherwise healthy friendships, avoid being your true self and give your partner all your power. Please wake up and realize this is not healthy. You can get your power back with or without your jealous partner. You must follow your heart, your bliss for your own spirits highest and best, good.

Since those past relationships I *have* taken my power back. I am secure within myself again and continue to learn and grow from these experiences. So I can only thank these past relationships for that. It came down to respect for myself and the person I was with. If I was jealous of them doing something, I didn’t respect or trust them enough to stay true to us and our relationship. If they *did* have a wandering eye and even had (admittedly or not) cheated on me then the respect that I needed was for myself! I needed to realize that I apparently had low self-esteem, didn’t feel deserving and would allow someone to treat me badly by not at least acknowledging my existence while I was with them and respect me enough to not goggle at every person of the opposite sex that walked by. I needed to acknowledge MYSELF enough to know that if someone is cheating or disrespecting me in that fashion, that they were not at the level I needed them to be at in our relationship. I, too, needed to know I deserved the best for me. They, obviously, were not my match in every fashion. Their beliefs did not match my own in this particular pattern. Also, letting go of jealousy issues regarding your partner and their wandering eye, is very freeing. Knowing that you will either let them go, change the situation with that person or leave immediately for your own self-esteem and self-love is liberating.

If you are seeing someone and the commitment hasn’t been spoken, then that is a separate issue altogether. If there is no commitment or to even take it further, an admittance of not wanting a commitment, then there is no right (per say) to feel such jealousy to begin with. Or rather, you have agreed that jealousy can’t be an issue. There is justification and a reason for everything. Jealousy does have it’s plusses and positive things that come from it! Take this particular example and realize if you aren’t committed and you are feeling these ego issues, then you may realize you do want a commitment and need to leave the relationship or redefine it with the other person through communication. As for me, whether there has been communication about a commitment or not, I just can’t see more than one person at a time and choose not to. It’s respect for the person I am with and, very importantly, for myself. I know what I want and it’s not to be in numerous unhealthy relationships. It’s to be in one healthy thriving long-lasting relationship.

I must add quickly here that there are times when what feels like jealousy is actually your intuition letting you know of an icky situation that is going on with either your partner or wherever this emotion is aimed at. Your intuition will tell you when you are being lied to or when something deceitful is going on. You will know it with every core of your being. These particular situations may not be frequent, but they do happen, so it’s imperative that you are analyzing and releasing these negative emotions, as well as developing and listening to your intuition…your inner knowing.

All other Jealous feelings

I am grouping the rest together, since we could name and describe them all, however, that is not the main focus of this article. You can get the essence from this overview.

Jealousy of another’s good fortune, whether it be money, physically thin, emotionally stable, spiritually happy, in a wonderful relationship, great job, etc., etc., is sometimes a motivator to make a better life for yourself. If this is the case, you were able to transmute that jealousy into something positive for your own well-being and rid yourself of that jealousy. But whether or not you receive that object of jealousy, it’s the jealousy itself that needs examining if it goes too far and is not released immediately. For many the jealousy seems to take on a life of it’s own in many folks and can end up in a pitfall of negativity that is hard to get out of.

Let’s take for example, you have a good friend who happens to have the most perfect job for them and is completely content and making great money to boot. An immediately reaction could be a pang of jealousy if you are not where you desire to be in your career. If you can’t immediately transmute that jealousy into loving happiness for your good friend and their good fortune, knowing they deserve their happiness (as you do), then therein lies the challenge.

Jealousy in Energy Transference

There are jealousy’s that happen on many levels. I remember meeting someone once that immediately caused some jealousy issues in me. I thought I had licked that monster in the bud, but apparently there was something to be released still. I started to look under the surface in order to see her for the person she really is first. I saw such potential and her heart reaching out for love (but not knowing the proper way to go about that, which is starting with self-love). There were obvious self-esteem issues going on here. In delving deeper I realized the jealousy was *not* my own. I realized that *she* wanted me to feel jealous of her. I looked further. I needed to understand why, in order to finally release this issue. I recognized that she needed the attention of every male she came in contact with. It didn’t matter who, as long as she received the attention she craved. She may have (subconsciously) thought I was someone who could take away some of that attention and seemed to emit that vibe that said she wanted me to put my attention and envy on her. She wanted me to feel jealous of her and *that* would make her feel better about herself!?

We feel what others feel because we are all connected. Even if you are not consciously attempting to open up psychically to feel another’s emotions, the energy transference still occurs and on some level (depending on how strong you are) you feel others emotions/thoughts/energies. You still have a “knowing” and they still put their emotions/thoughts/energies on you (and vice versa). Don’t let outside appearances or surface energy issues blind you to the love and connection we have with everyone. In my example, I felt something she badly wanted me to feel and was able to become aware of it and squash that foreign feeling from my being. I also sent her some white light and pink (which represents unconditional love). Her higher self will decide if and when she can receive this positive energy.

I had a friend once who has naturally fallen off of my radar. As we progress those of lower level energies/vibrations will naturally fall away either subtly or with a big bang. We must accept this change as a part of our evolvement, even if it’s hard. Change, especially losing someone as a friend is a death in and of itself. But it’s also a rebirth of something new. This opens you up to so much more.

This particular friend and I had something in common. We were both overweight at the time. However, she was usually much thinner than I was and was sure to make me aware of it at times. For the most part it was a subtle energy transference I picked up on that she was glad I was heavier than her…that I “looked worse” than she did. This was very subtle, so I ignored it since I was glad for the friendship. However, this turned out not to be such a healthy friendship, as you can guess.

She ended up falling off the face of the earth for four month, only to call me during my birthday week and try to rekindle a friendship she had let fall away. I am not up for being treated like dirt by my enemies, let alone someone who’s supposed to be my friend in good times and bad. I was willing to try to forgive during this phone call, but she continued to stay in her “victim” mode to make me appease her. This seemed so wrong to me. And still I ignored this. Towards the end of the call my friend (knowing I had been passionately shedding the pounds from my body) asked me what pants size I was now. When I told her I was actually two sizes smaller than she had expected there was a pause on the phone, followed with the fake “wow’s” and congratulations. She then ended the call telling me she was going to call so we could catch up sometime soon. I never heard from her again. I know that the main reason for her ego feelings is her low self-esteem and the fact that she couldn’t be around someone who “looked better” or thinner than her because of that. She couldn’t be happy for me in her truest self. I don’t deserve a friend like that and I’m glad she hasn’t called back. I have let go of that friendship.

Have you ever envied someone so much, that you wanted to be like that person to the point that everyone envied *you* in the same way? Have you ever wished that someone you were jealous of was jealous of you (instead)? SURE! We’re all human. We may have felt those ego emotions at one point in our life, and as we evolve we release those issues and realize that we don’t need someone else to feel horribly within themselves in order for US to feel better!? Most importantly, the energy transference of jealousy is a negative one. You don’t want someone to envy YOU or be jealous of you. Don’t put that on yourself or anyone else. You are putting a lot of requests out to the Universe for this negative emotion to be aimed at you! That’s a lot of negative attachments you don’t need, nor want. Not to mention that these powerful negative emotion can turn into obsession and lead to many unwanted things if progressed. Getting rid of these negative attachments will take work for sure!

Ever talk to someone about your feelings of jealousy only for them to point out something negative in the other person to make you feel better about *your* jealousy. Or even more subtle, your friend says something like “…Well, they may be rich, but they have their problems. We all do…” This comment is so faint and done only in the most positive of light by your friend to say this in order to help you.

However, I have realized something. How is seeing something negative in someone else to rid yourself of the jealousy you have for that someone a solution!? Yes, the statement may be 100% true of other issues in that person, however, we are striving to release negativity from ourselves AND others. We do not want to PUT it on anyone else, even if it’s very subtle. This is a form of subtle energy transference onto the object of jealousy. We need to see it in a new light. Realize the jealousy and release it, but not by bringing more negativity into the picture. This negativity is aimed at that other person and they will receive this subtle transference, since all thoughts are things and all energy goes out there for manifesting.

Be Aware – Be in the Now

First, you must realize the jealousy. You must see it and acknowledge it. You must own it. Take it as your own in order to release it. If you deny that you are feeling this emotion, then it takes that much longer for you to release it and this situation will keep showing its ugly head until you pay attention to it and release it once and for all. Second, see where it’s coming from. Once you are aware of this jealousy, ask yourself why you are jealous. Don’t discount any thoughts that come to mind, but keep probing. Dig deeper. Is it insecurity, wanting something for yourself, fear, etc. Is this emotion truly all coming from you or a deeper intuition about the current situation… Last but not least, release the jealousy in its entirety. Don’t let any past issues you’ve experienced in this negative emotion dictate what you believe and how you feel within now. No matter how you may have been “victimized” in the past in order for you to “justify” being jealous, it’s in the past. Nothing more. Don’t let your past rule your future and who you are today. Have faith that you are attracting wonderful positive situations and people. Release those negative emotions that don’t serve you anymore.

Positive outcome

There are positive things that can come out of jealousy feelings. Like a new awareness. Surpassing this emotion is ground-breaking for many. Your new awareness could lead you on a new quest for striving to be better at releasing this emotion, or whatever it is you were jealous of. It can be positive, as long as you don’t let the jealousy spiral out of control. Recognize it for what it is and release it, taking only the positive things from it.

There are things that are blocked from you when you immerse yourself in a feeling such as jealousy. You deprive yourself of a loving relationship, of finding common interests in someone you may have otherwise been jealous of or even find help with a tough situation from someone that you may have initially judged and therefore found jealousy in. If you get passed it quickly, you can benefit from these loving relationships and interactions with a variety of countless people out there. We are all here to connect and help others as we evolve ourselves. There’s potential in these interactions that seem so fleeting. Take notice and be amazed at what love can pour out from something that, at first, seemed so negative.

See the good in someone. Especially those you have negative feelings over, in order to transmute those feelings into something wonderful. Start small. See one good thing about that person you were jealous of and see how the love enfolds. Feeling love and compassion leads to higher levels of understanding and is blissfully freeing from the judgmental habits of jealousy and other ego issues. Be happy for the person with the thin body, riches or great job. Know that in our connectedness they are happy and in being happy for them, you bring about your own happiness just by feeling that happiness. Energy transference brings back more energy to you.

Be true to you. We are all here to evolve into the wonderful connected beings we are. Since we are all connected, we evolve more quickly if we strive to help others as we help ourselves. See yourself in others and know that they are reacting on the vibrational level they are on right now at this very moment. It might not be where you are at, but that’s okay. See in them the trueness they are being to themselves and the Universe by not avoiding their truest selves. If you can offer them some assistance in growing within themselves, great! If not, that’s okay too. You move on. I try to help those I can, but know when I can only be there and not be the “teacher”. In every situation, whether you are teaching or not, there is always something to learn.

I choose not to let jealousy overtake my actions neither physically or energy-wise. I choose to be as aware as possible of my emotions and the energy I put out to the Universe and shine a truth spotlight on any lingering ego issues, while spread the love I feel for all throughout.

If that sounds cryptic: It comes down to this. I firmly believe that everything we put out there to the Universe comes back to us. I firmly believe that all of our thoughts, actions, emotions and energies go out to the Universe and come back to us in some way, shape or form. Our desires and what we truly feel we deserve always come back to us. So I now ask you, can you put out into the Universe what you truly would like to receive back? Or rather can you have the faith and trust that you truly deserve the highest and best, positive abundance of love and prosperity? Put out positive love, compassion, understanding and truth and see what comes back for you. :)

Jealousy, Faithfulness and Distance

December 18th, 2009

http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id=49708
authorsden.com
By Tina B Tessina

The most important thing you can do is to remember that when you handle jealousy properly, it will be a passing emotion you discuss with each other, not a disaster.

So many couples are now separated part- or full- time because of military deployment and/or work travel and schedules, I get a lot of questions about faithfulness. Your marriage vows may have said, “’til death do us part” but no one said anything about what happens when a military career or traveling job makes it necessary for you to part, and you want to maintain the closeness in your relationship. Not only does the war take husbands away from their wives, but the greater involvement of women in the military means that more husbands are also left behind during wartime deployment. The following excerpts from my newest book, The Commuter Marriage: Keep Your Relationship Close While You’re Far Apart will help you keep your marriage healthy and problems of infidelity away.

Mistrust and Jealousy

“O, beware… of jealousy; it is the green-eyed monster” wrote William Shakespeare in the sixteenth century. In four hundred years, we don’t seem to have been able to tame or conquer this monster. Nothing will harm your relationship more than jealousy, suspicion or mistrust. Especially when you are apart, you need to find a way to trust each other. Jealousy is still very present with us, and rears its ugly head often in all relationships, and when you are not together, your imagination can run wild and make it even more of a problem. It’s very valuable during a military separation to keep your communication open, up-to-date, and as frequent as possible.

What Happens When One Of You Becomes Jealous Or Suspicious?

Gail, whose husband Charles is an officer in the merchant marine and away for weeks or months at a time, says “I used to get very jealous, but then I realized I had a choice: I could choose to feel scared, angry, or even to feel generous and loving instead of jealous, if I thought about it. I don’t regard jealousy as a desirable emotion, and when it comes up, I work to overcome it.”

Most jealousy arises when someone feels insecure or threatened — either you’re afraid of losing your relationship, or that someone else will get the attention, love, or affection you want. The most important thing you can do is to remember that when you handle jealousy properly, it will be a passing emotion you discuss with each other, not a disaster. Gail, whose husband is far away in the Navy, says, “I found that when I had more of a sense of humor about my jealousy, I could talk to Charles about it, and he was happy to reassure me. When I saw a model in a bikini on TV, and then looked at my pregnant belly and got worried that he’d find a hot babe who looked better than I do, and I told him, he said ‘Hon, your belly is very beautiful to me, and I can’t wait to be there beside you and to hold our new baby daughter after she’s born. Nothing is more attractive to me than that.’ And I felt much better.”

Jealousy is usually less about your partner’s behavior than it is about what you’re afraid the behavior means. Jealousy can lead to upsetting arguments, tears, resentment and accusations, even when no actual infidelity exists. You can be fearful, self-protective and jealous as a result of being hurt in a previous relationship – acting as if you believe your partner will hurt you the same way you were hurt by someone else. You’ll have much better luck if you remain calm, treat jealousy as a normal, human problem and work it out together.

How Can You Communicate Effectively When You Don’t See Each Other Often?

Communication while you’re apart is vital, but how you do it depends on what works best for both of you. Obviously, military personnel stationed at a base will have more opportunities for contact than soldiers at the front. If contact is very difficult, keep a journal and write things in it, to be sure they won’t be forgotten when you do have contact. Problems communicating can be frustrating, so try to keep your frustration from hampering your conversations.

You may be physically far apart, and if you can’t see, feel and sense each other’s “vibes,” you’re missing a lot of non-verbal communication clues. In order to compensate for these missing cues, your communication skills need to be better than just OK. You’ll be much easier understood if you compensate for the absent vibes, touch and visuals with new tools:

Tech Tools: One advantage you have over long_distance couples from years ago is new technology. Today, there are all kinds of amazing communication tools, satellite connections, and more innovations coming up all the time:

Here’s how to use several of these options to enhance your communication:

1. E-mail: Think of e-mail when you need accuracy and want to save time.

2. Instant Messaging: Think of IM when you want a quick chat to share some good news or just update each other on a change of plans.

3. Cell Phones: Think of your cell phones when you want to connect to each other away from home, briefly hear your partner’s voice, or suddenly change plans.

4. Video Sharing: Think of video sharing when the moving visuals and sound are important.

5. Text Messaging: Think of texting as similar to IM-ing, but away from your computer, via a PDA or cell phone.

6. Photo Sharing: Think of photo sharing when you want to share how things look.

7. VOIP: (Internet telephoning) Think of VOIP if you’re separated by a long distance, and when the savings are substantial.

8. Blogs: Many soldiers in war zones have written blogs, you can use a private blog to record intimate thoughts for each other. Think of blogging when you time zones are different, and you can’t talk when you’d like to.

Talking, but Not Communicating

It’s much easier to talk than it is to communicate. If you’re not aware of what you’re doing you can talk for a long time, about a lot of things, and yet never get to the point or be understood by your partner. This is not so much of a problem if you’re just relaxing and having fun; but if you’re separated for a long time, communicating becomes vital.

Seven Steps for Turning Talk into Communicating:

1. Communicate with yourself first. If you know a chance to talk is coming up, take a little time to think about it beforehand. Know what you want to say, what you want your partner to understand, and what you want to accomplish. If you’re upset or anxious about the topic; try writing your thoughts down to organize them.

2. Do you understand your partner? Even though you are prepared to communicate what you want your partner to know, begin by being willing to listen. If you are receptive and interested, the conversation will go better, and your mate will be more likely to reciprocate and listen to you.

3. If the conversation goes off track, bring it back. Don’t let the conversation wander to other topics until you’re sure you’ve finished the first topic. If other topics come up, like past events or other problems, say “I’d like to talk about that, too, but let’s finish the first problem before we go there.”

4. Don’t argue about who’s right. It leads to endless arguing and getting nowhere. Switch your focus from right and wrong to what will work – it’s not about who’s right, but what solves the problem.

5. Stay calm. If either one of you is getting upset, take a break, agree to let the topic rest until next time, and switch to talking about something pleasant, like how much you care.

6. Make constructive suggestions. For each problem you discuss, offer some possible solutions. If you can’t agree on a solution, agree to try one temporarily to see how it works.

7. Confirm your solution. Whatever you’ve decided you want to do based on your discussion, this is the time to confirm your decision and make sure you both understand your agreement.

When your time together or on the phone is at a premium, you’ll do a lot better if you concentrate on getting the important stuff out of the way efficiently, and still have time to enjoy your conversation. “Ever since we’ve been taking the time to be clear what we want to accomplish when we talk, we’ve been doing so much better.” Gail says. “Now, we get the business done first; then we can relax and just enjoy talking to each other.”

Maintaining Intimacy

As you probably realize, maintaining intimacy is an issue in most marriages, and most couples are concerned about how to keep affection, emotional connection and sexual satisfaction working well over the years of a successful marriage. Being separated for a long time, as military couples often are, puts extra emphasis on these issues. Because intimacy makes it easier to avoid infidelity, you need to know how to keep your intimate connection strong.

Instead of wasting time arguing and bickering about inconsequential matters, it’s much more effective to be thoughtful and considerate of each other, and try to understand your partner’s point of view. Planning ahead also helps you make the most of whatever time you do get together.

How to Keep Your Intimate Connection While You’re Apart:

*Keep the phone as special as you can. Handle mundane business, messages for friends, and reports about how things are going via e-mail, IM or text message, and keep the phone for making that intimate connection. As often as possible, schedule a phone call for some intimate conversation. If you have children, speak to them first; then get some time for the two of you. Have phone sex if you get the chance.

*Use the mail: Nothing is more intimate than a love note. Mail is one of the advantages living apart has over living together. Sending little gifts, notes, cards, postcards or pictures to your partner (whether you’re the one at home or the one away) takes only a moment and racks up a huge score on the intimacy chart. When you’re at the PX, pick up a few affectionate or amusing cards, and then send them at random moments. Send a postcard with a scene of where you are, or a cartoon cut from the paper or a magazine. If you have cards, stamps and envelopes on hand, it’s easier to drop one in the mail.

© 2009 Tina B. Tessina adapted from: Money, Sex and Kids: Stop Squabbling About the Three Things That Can Destroy Your Marriage (Adams Media) ISBN# 978-1-59869-325-6

Jealousy & paranoia: relationship killers

December 18th, 2009

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1077/is_2_64/ai_n31027506/
findarticles.com
by Joy T. Bennett

It was one of the most humiliating and painful events of her life, but it wasn’t the first time she was the victim of her husband’s intense jealousy and paranoia.

It was his family event, but because he had to work, the wife took their three sons to his parents’ home for the barbeque. As she was standing talking to his brother, her husband arrived, walked up behind her, whirled her around and punched her in the face–breaking her nose, splattering blood down the front of her cute summer outfit. He then accused her of sleeping with his brother.

“That’s the extreme case of paranoia–a 10-plus,” says Dr. Brenda Wade, a family psychologist, of a couple she counseled.

It’s not only men who are jealous. In another case, if the husband so much as glanced in the direction of a woman, the wife would explode in a dramatic meltdown and accuse him of cheating. “The man in this relationship was absolutely walking the straight and narrow,” says Wade. However, in both cases, the mate’s out-of-control behavior threatened any hope of a fulfilling relationship.

Jealousy and paranoia are both “rooted in fear,” says Dr. Ronn Elmore, a relationship therapist, ordained minister and author. He says jealousy starts when “our head starts talking to us, making us suspicious.” Paranoia kicks in when we are no longer questioning whether a suspicion is true. We’ve concluded that it’s true and are considering aggressively acting on these suspicions.

There are milder forms of jealousy, the experts say, that fall within more normal ranges. “If you’re out at a restaurant or a party with your husband and a beautiful woman comes up to your mate and starts to stroke his check in front you and proposition him–that’s normal jealousy,” says Wade. “That’s when you gently and sweetly ask your mate, ‘Honey, can I see you over here?’”

Chicago-based psychologist Dr. George Smith believes it is best to pick up on signs of these emotions during the dating process.

“Verbal and physical threats are both forms of intimidation that impose fear on a person,” he says. “These are red flags. If you get to this phase, you need to get out of there,” says Smith, who has worked with more than 3,000 couples in the past 30 years. “A lot of times this delusion begins with insecurity. You can’t let someone’s insecurities become your shortcoming,” he says. “Rejection coupled with anger and rage will become a very toxic situation.”

He says men sometimes view women as property. “They sometimes feel they’ve put down the earnest money, they are making the payments and even though the relationship is in foreclosure, they still claim ownership,” he says.

Relationship experts suggest that you put your own jealousy and paranoia in check. First realize that it’s often an “inside job.”

If you’re in a tense situation, follow these steps: “Stop your anxiety. Take a deep breath, a sip of water, excuse yourself–get yourself under control,” Wade says.

Next, you should get help. Jealousy and paranoia are often rooted in a fear of abandonment or other issues, which may require long-term therapy. And, finally, maintain your dignity by behaving with the utmost self-respect.

If you have a problem with these emotions, it probably is not the first time, Elmore says. “If you’ve been accused of this by two different people who don’t know each other, perhaps it’s time to consider that you are the problem and [you should] try to change. And change is always difficult.”

But change is necessary, not just for the relationship, but also for the individual. “We are responsible for our own thoughts, feelings and behavior,” Wade says.

RED Flags

* He or she routinely accuses you of being unfaithful for no apparent reason

* He or she checks phone bills, e-mails, cell phone directory to see who you’ve been communicating with

* He or she calls often throughout the day to check on you

* He or she may threaten to harm you or themself

Is Jealousy the Antidote to Cheating?

December 18th, 2009

http://health.discovery.com/centers/loverelationships/articles/jealousy.html
health.discovery.com
By Amy Bowles Reyer, Ph.D.

“To a woman the first kiss is just the end of the beginning; to a man it’s the beginning of the end.” —Helen Rowland

Try to imagine that your loved one has become romantically interested in someone else. And then try to envision which scenario would bother you more: (a) learning that your partner has fallen in love with that person or (b) discovering that your partner has had meaningless sex with that person. Obviously, both situations are painful to think about, but chances are one of these bothers you more than the other. And just as likely, your gender has a lot to do with which one causes you the most anguish.

Both men and women experience jealousy and according to David Buss, Ph.D., professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Texas, this is both healthy and necessary to the fitness of a faithful relationship. In The Dangerous Passion: Why Jealousy Is As Necessary As Love and Sex,” Buss describes his survey of women and men in the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, Korea and Zimbabwe. The majority of women interviewed were troubled more about a partner’s emotional infidelity, while the men were most upset about sexual transgressions.

The differing grounds for jealousy between men and women reveal highly adaptive responses for the human species. Since fertilization takes place inside the female body, it is difficult to determine paternity with any real certainty. The ancestral man was therefore unable to know whether he was, in fact, the real father of his children.

“Mama’s Baby, Papa’s Maybe”
Female sexual infidelity jeopardized the opportunity for a man to continue his gene pool and also placed him in the unfortunate situation of raising a rival’s children. Women do not share this problem, since they know that they are the biological mothers of their children. One of the African cultures that Buss studies uses the phrase, “Mama’s baby, Papa’s maybe.”

But our ancestral mothers had other problems. Their challenge was to continue to attract their partner so that he would stay and help to raise and protect the children. As painful as a sexual transgression might be, what women have always wanted to know is, “Do you love her?” If a man forms a strong emotional attachment to another woman, he is at risk for abandoning the relationship and his children. A meaningless one-night stand does not make him want to leave his family.

Jealously Is the Root of…
Human jealousy has roots in our reproductive past and has probably endured because it serves its ultimate purpose, to help ward off potential rivals. While men and women may get jealous about different things, our jealous behavior is often similar — evil glares, threatening comments, and sometimes even violent and dangerous actions against potential rivals.

Buss writes, “Jealousy is not a sign of immaturity, but rather a supremely important passion that helped our ancestors, and most likely continues to help us today, to cope with a host of real reproductive threats. It drives us to keep partners from straying with tactics such as escalating vigilance or showering a partner with affection. And it communicates commitment to a partner who may be wavering, serving an important purpose in the maintenance of love.”

(The Dangerous Passion: Why Jealousy Is As Necessary As Love and Sex, The Free Press, N.Y., 2000, pp. 5-6).

Single Moms, Jealous Children

December 18th, 2009

http://singlemindedwomen.com/single-moms/single-moms-jealous-children/
singlemindedwomen.com
By John Gray

It’s all but too common that single moms will feel the need to push love away because they are overly concerned that their children will be jealous or upset with them for getting involved again.

While this apprehension is correct – that their children may indeed be jealous – this is not a good reason to avoid intimate adult companionship that might lead to finding love again. In fact, it is actually another reason a single mom should get involved in a new relationship, and here’s why…

When a parent gets involved again, it helps a child to face his own loss as well. It also frees the child from feeling responsible for the parent. Rather than protecting his or her children from being jealous, a single parent needs to focus on helping the children deal with and overcome their jealousy.

When a single mom become seriously involved, engaged, or remarried, often they protect their children from feeling jealous by downplaying their affection for their new partner while they are in the presence of their children.

Though this might seem like a good idea, it simply is not. Instead, a parent should make a special and deliberate point to speak highly of their new partner.

In truth, children are seeking, and indeed need a reason to like this intruder who has come into their lives. They have not gone out and found him. Quite often, children are very happy to have a single parent all to themselves. If they hear, see, and experience in a variety of ways that this new person has the ability to make Mom, or Dad very happy, then they will slowly but surely begin to welcome this new person into their lives as well.

Later on, if the child has periods when they resent the involvement of a stepparent, it is appropriate to create special times to be with the child without the new partner being present. Just as a new couple has private time together, children should feel that they will also get to have some special and private time with their mom.

Parents, whether divorced or not, often make a child the very center of their lives. To counter this tendency, we must make special efforts to prioritize certain undeniable adult needs.

Remember this one critical fact: whenever we are ready to get involved again, we should expect that our children will be upset. Even though a parent might be ready to explore new relationships, a child may still have unresolved feelings from their past life. Children often feel the need to carry the weight of their parent’s anguish over a breakup. Ultimately what frees them from feeling responsible for us is the degree to which we are nurturing ourselves. When we are taking responsibility to help ourselves and get the support of family, friends, groups, or therapy, our children are released from carrying this far too heavy weight.

A new partner can release a child from feeling the need to be a parent’s principle support system. Jealousy can quickly give way to relief as parent and child can return to their natural roles of nurturer and nurtured.

Sibling Rivalry And Jealousy

December 18th, 2009

http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/sibling-rivalry-and-jealousy/
thelaboroflove.com

Jealousy and competition are two of the most common causes of sibling rivalry. The fact of the matter is that, no matter how hard parents try to be fair to their children, every child will feel, at one point or another, feelings of jealousy toward their sibling or siblings. This jealousy may take many forms, and may have many different causes. With patience and understanding, however, parents can help children that are struggling with sibling rivalry and jealousy.

One of the areas that jealousy can cause sibling rivalry is in the area of parental attention. It is not uncommon for one child to feel as though a parent gives more time, attention, and even love to a sibling. This can cause severe feelings of jealousy. A child may feel that a sibling is a “favorite” to one or more of the parents. While it is often true that a parent may be in some ways closer to one of their children than another, it is important for a parent to make sure that all of their children feel loved, and get the attention that they need. In this same vein, it is important that the household rules and disciplinary procedures are followed equally, to prevent jealousy among siblings.

Another area that jealousy can cause sibling rivalry has to do with the ages of the siblings. For example, if a sixteen year-old sibling earns their driver’s license, a younger sibling can very easily be jealous. Older children will, of course, have more privileges than younger children. During these times, it is important to help the younger sibling to understand that the older sibling has those privileges because the older sibling is now capable of handling additional responsibilities. At the same time, it is not uncommon for an older sibling to be jealous of a younger sibling. Especially when a baby is first born, the extra time, care, and attention that parents have to devote to the baby can make older siblings feel jealous, and can lead to sibling rivalry later on in life.

Dealing With Children Jealousy Caused By A New Baby

December 18th, 2009

http://www.relationshipjealousy.com/children-jealousy
relationshipjealousy.com

Children jealousy is something that any parent with more than one child might have to face. Especially for younger children who don’t yet understand why they aren’t getting the attention of their younger sibling when a newborn arrives. The good news is that there are effective techniques to handling and understanding children jealousy and to resolve the problem.

It’s important not to overreact and place to much emphasis on children jealousy, especially if the older one is of preschool age. It’s natural that an older child or preschool child may have some feelings of children jealousy or resentment. It may take some time for them to understand that mom and dad have a newborn to take care of and that mom and dad still love and adore them just as much as before.

So what do you do if your older child ridicules or makes fun of the new baby?

First, don’t punish them. While it is important for them to realize it’s not nice to make fun of their new sister or brother, it’s a reactionary behavior. Not an intentional desire to hurt anyone’s feelings.

Sit them down and talk to the older child – explain that the newborn requires attention, needs your help and can’t yet do all the things the older child can do. The baby needs you.

If you punish any child for having children jealousy feelings and symptoms you reinforces that the newborn is more important. The punishment says, your bad and need to be punished – that’s not the message you want to be sending to a child that suffers from children jealousy.

What if an older child begins to imitate the baby’s behavior (such as sucking their thumb, or trying to get into the crib)?

This is a sign they need attention. They feel left out or not part of. This is often why children jealousy begins to develop in a household with a newborn child. So include them in things more. If you need to change the babies diaper or feed the baby, try to find a way to have the older child help you. Maybe they can even rock the child in a baby swing while you are there watching them both. Just explain the swing is made to only rock the child gently not swing them around like a swing set. (I know that sounds obvious, but to a child who is yet to fully understand a newborn, they need detailed instruction)

When older children mimic the newborns behavior many parents automatically tell the older child to stop acting childish. Be patient and understanding – it’s ok to mimic the baby for a short time so long the parent doesn’t reward the behavior. You want to reinforce that the love and attention your newborn is getting does not replace the love and affection and attention the older child desires.

So when you can, make sure you spend some alone time with the older child who may have children jealousy. Maybe Dad can watch the newborn while Mom and the older child do something. And then later reverse the roles. Each time you do this; explain that the other parent isn’t joining them because the baby needs constant watching.

This teaches your preschooler, or child, that the baby does need constant attention, yet they deserve, and more importantly have, your love and attention as well.

Knowing your attention and love is there helps to elevate the children jealousy a sibling may be feeling.

By giving him or her opportunities to act like a loving older brother or sister will strengthen the bond between each child and lessen the children jealousy that once existed. Oh yea, and besides getting rid of the children jealousy that may develop when a newborn is brought into the home you will find the self image of the older child gets reinforced. They are part of the family and won’t feel like they are on the outside looking in.

Taking these suggestions will strengthen the bonds and develop a healthier and happier family and children without the children jealousy that is experienced in so many families when a newborn child is brought home and introduced to the household.

Jealousy: A Typology and Essay

December 17th, 2009

http://www.angelfire.com/or3/tss4/jeal.html
angelfire.com
by David H. Kessel

Whenever jealousy is talked about it’s usually in reference to romantic relationships…usually between heterosexuals, although it would clearly apply to homosexual/lesbian relationships, too. This will be the primary context of this discussion…but since sociologically jealousy is a social relation (a way of taking others into account and of being taken into account), I believe that it abounds in all sorts of contexts in our society, too. After discussing it in the romantic context, I’ll finish with a few words of amplification on this broader understanding of jealousy…how, in fact, much of the production and consumption in a capitalist society is premised on it. But, for now, lets think of jealousy in the more narrow context of “love” and romance and marriage/partnering.

The truth of the matter is there’s not a whole lot written about jealousy, especially from a critical perspective. I found one site which while acknowledging some destructive effects of jealousy, was primarily interested in it because the author felt it led to great sex…a ploy to arouse attention and interest. Another author tried in vain, in my opinion, to distinquish between jealousy and envy…supporting envy as a relatively harmless reality. Another site, while not in the least supportive of jealousy, utilized it as a theraputic device to generate greater empathy between people. I also found a Jealousy Test.

One of the best sources to describe jealousy is an article by Emma Goldman written circa 1912, “Jealousy: Causes and a Possible Cure” Emma maintains that being jealous is not an innate characteristic of humans, but rather, a learned response to structural/institutional arrangements involving monogamy, marriage, and ownership of property…specifically, sexual ownership of women by men. She bluntly states that “jealousy is not the result of love.” She says it’s “…the very reverse of understanding, of sympathy, and of generous feeling.” I highly recommend this article by Goldman.

However, the main content of this short essay comes from a source I no longer remember…although I think it’s from the Instructor’s Manual to Keith Melville’s excellent old textbook, Marriage and Family Today, which I used quite often in the 1980’s. The text is no longer in print, unfortunately. Neither do I have the IM I think this “jealousy typology” comes from…I have only my notes taken at the time and utilized numerous times in various sociology courses. So, I present these ideas as authored by someone other than myself…although a bit of the commentary surrounding the typology is from me.

As Emma Goldman indicates, jealousy is far too often conceived as a “sign of love.” This, in my opinion, is the first thing that one must establish with an audience. As Emma says, “In fact, if it were possible to investigate most cases of jealousy, it would likely be found that the less people are imbued with a great love the more violent and contemptible is their jealousy.” Far from being a sign of love, jealousy is love’s exact opposite. Goldman says, “Its one desire is to punish, and to punish as severely as possible.”

However, jealousy is also NOT evidence of personal failure, nor innate in human beings. This latter claim is, as Goldman says, “…a convenient excuse for those who lack ability and willingness to delve into cause and effect.” She calls it “…the artificial result of an artificial cause, nothing else.” Yet, the kind of jealousy being referred to here is not the same as authentic anguish over a lost love, nor grieving over the discontinuity of a love thread, nor authentic emotional sorrow. Emma maintains, and I agree, that this type of anguish or emotional sorrow may very well be innate among humans. But, jealousy itself is a learned response…a learned social relation generated from a learned way of “being” in the world and in relation to and with others. The jealous individual, while often as dispicable as can be, is therefore just as much a victim as the one who is the receiver of jealous feelings and actions.

Thus, if jealousy is not a sign of love nor a sign of personal failure, what is it? Just as a fever is a sign of a virus (NOT the virus itself), jealousy is the outward manifestation of a troubled relationship and a lack of self-respect. An individual…or even a couple…who is jealous of their mate, should try to understand that jealousy is a signal to attend to that relationship and to oneself. Although this essay is not the place to go into depth about it, the romantic or even marital relationship…to the extent it is essentially a symbiotic relationship (Fromm talks about this numerous places)…is a major source of jealousy…it’s a “setup,” in other words.

With all this having been said as preface, just what IS jealousy? In actuality, jealousy is quite difficult to define succiently. From my own experience as a jealous individual at one time in my life…and from looking at various sources…I’ve settled on the general definition of: a gut level pain resulting from the unpleasant fear, suspicion, or resentment arising from mistrust of another. I believe this definition provides a good point of departure in order to spell it out more fully…hence the following “typology of jealousy.” Using this typology breaks down the seemingly monolithic and singular quality of the word itself. It taps into the various dimensions involved in jealousy and allows us to discern different types as well as sources of jealousy. It also facilitates seeing that what some people experience in their relationships is in fact jealousy, although not always clearly recognized by those involved.

TYPOLOGY OF JEALOUSY

1. Possessive Jealousy

This type of jealousy is premised on the perception that someone else is a extension of your own life. Therefore, a “hoarding orientation” to life is dominant here…a feeling that one possesses another and that one cannot be “who they are” without them.

2. Exclusion Jealousy

This type is premised on the feeling that one is being left out or shut out from something another is (or will be) experiencing. This type is most clearly related to envy, although envy is part of every type, too. Also, the belief that someone else has (or will have) an “advantage” is very strong in this type.

3. Competition Jealousy

Premised on a “marketing orientation” to life, this type of jealousy involves showing/demonstrating to others that you have desirable characteristics.

4. Egotism Jealousy

This type involves denying to another any freedom from role stereotypes…based upon one’s own needs for identity and sense of worth.

5. Fear Jealousy

This type is based on the feeling of insecurity about losing control of another…or actually losing the other…that they will abandon you when “something better” comes along.

This typology, while probably not exhaustive, amply illustrates the multfaceted dimensions of jealousy. Using just one word to describe these various feelings and activities is quite inadequate. Depending on the experienes of the individual…their commitment to role requirements…and on their own sense of “self,” these types of jealousy may overlap within one individual. Or, one or more may be dominant in any given individual. But having the typology allows examination (both self- and external) of a relationship which is unlikely with using just the one label of “jealous.” It permits questions about sources of orientation and behaviors…conditions which produce these relations.

Returning to the issue of broader social relations, hopefully it is clearer now what I meant when I mentioned that when removed from romantic/partnership relations, we can discern “jealousy” throughout our society. The notions of possessiveness, exclusion/advantage, competitiveness, egotism/identity, and fear permeate our capitalist and hierarchial societal structures. In short, we are a “jealous society” and it’s also clear, at least to me, that many people depend on others being jealous in this larger context. But I’ll leave it at that for now…the “hint” of looking for social relations behind and beyond very dissimilar outward realities is hopefully sufficient and suggestive as is.

I suggest that teachers utilize this typology with students…generating reflective discussion in class as well as being utilized for self-analysis by students via opinion or analysis papers.

Finally, allow me to finish with the short paragraph with which Emma Goldman ends her article:

“All lovers do well to leave the dooors of their love wide open. When love can go and come without fear of meeting a watchdog, jealousy will rarely take root because it will soon learn that where there are no locks and keys there is no place for suspicion and distrust, two elements upon which jealousy thrives and prospers.”