I have lived in six different countries on four different continents, but in addition to all the benefits that come from such an interesting experience, there is a down side. It has created in me a slight dissatisfaction with wherever I happen to find myself now. What I hanker for is the best aspects of all the places I’ve ever lived all in one place.

Before I left Australia at 27, I thought it was the most wonderful place in the world. But once I experienced other cultures, lifestyles and geographies, I discovered what was possible and Melbourne now never seems enough to me.

We are perfectly happy until we realize what the possibilities are. As children we are perfectly content with ourselves, our lives and our options. We take everything on face value and enjoy our life and opportunities, that is until we begin to see the possibilities for living differently. As we grow we see that some people have more - more money, more beauty, more health, more choice - and we are no longer happy with what we have. We want what they have.

Parul Sehgal, in a recent TED talk called “An Ode to Envy,” says we live in envious times. She says envy is a hungry emotion that needs to be fed, and its food is information, details, and photos - that’s why social media like Facebook and Instagram are so popular, and so addictive.

But no matter what we may or may not have, no matter how things appear to others, we are all dealing with same forces of life. We are all striving for happiness and struggling against the downward pull of sadness and despair; each and every one of us is trying to silence the fears that constantly gnaw at us and at times paralyze us, and we are all working to overcome the circumstances and events that are obstacles in our path to peace, contentment and success. No amount of money, beauty or success makes that path easier. That’s why Oscar winning actors die of drug overdose.

When I have encountered individuals who have something I would like for myself I have found the most uplifting, and most successful, approach is to see them as a model for what is possible. I see them as an embodiment for what I want my life to look like in a particular aspect and I begin to put my energy and attention into manifesting it. I don’t wish I had it instead of them, I put my intention to having it as well as them.

Our innate Oneness means that when we wish something for someone else, we in fact wish it for ourselves. When we send love and light to others, we are showered in the brilliance and blessings of that love. When we share love, love expands. We are all blessed by the love we create.

Eileen McBride
Eileen McBride is the author of Love Equals Power 2, a spiritual seeker and teacher. This article was published on February 27, 2014.