I’ll have what she’s having.

We look at another woman’s life or achievements or what we perceive as achievements, and we may be a bit jealous. We may be envious of her. She might make everything look so good, so perfect.

What we see is on the surface.

What we may not know is what she has done to get where she is today. We don't know the sacrifices or how hard she worked or what her life was or is like. We only see what is visible.

What we perceive of others is based off what she wants us to see, most of the time.

We may envy the woman that advances in her career or those that eat like there’s no tomorrow and remain always thin and fit or the ones that are always put together from head to toe. Their hair is always on point and their wardrobe always up to date with trending styles. They live in homes that look like the “TikTok” or “Reels” homes that are always so clean organized and “Open House” ready. They are well known in the community and volunteer when and where they can. They are the organizers and the go-to women we value for fundraisers and more. They shop and vacation in exquisite destinations.

Our coveting or admiring can sway in another angle, we may be envious of the one that just feels confident to crawl out of bed and maybe, at a minimum, apply some lip gloss and a ballcap to run to the grocery store on a Saturday morning and doesn’t care who she runs into. We may be envious of those that have homes that look, “lived in”, and wish we could just be more like that woman and not care if our home is HGTV prototypes. We may want to be the woman that does not work outside of the home or those that are minimalists. They do not have overstuffed closets and drawers. They have what they need to live on, and they are so happy. We may be “wowed” by those women that are outdoorsy, they are close to nature they have gardens and love to hike and mountain climb, and more.

It is not always the materialistic things that may make us want what another woman has. We may sometimes be jealous of how another woman is loved (how many bouquets of flowers are delivered in the office on Valentine’s Day or just because and can leave some women so jelly) or how they might show love to others (some are just so giving). Sometimes it may be how a person handles situations. The ones that show up to a situation, and they can calm all just by their presence because they are not the excitable anxious type. We wish so much we can be that woman, especially when we get very nervous and worked up. Sometimes we see other women go through the most tragic of a times and how well they handled themselves and we know we would have never had handled that with such grace.

I know at different times of my life; I have been envious of so many women that have gone through a major life change, in which some may have just curled up in a ball in the corner of the room and not move for days, but witness their trust in the Lord, in themselves and in their strengths and be the most successful  I have been envious of those that have fun and care-free attitudes. When my anxiety was at its worst, I envied those that did not have that demon that kept them from enjoying an outing or enjoying their vacation.

I do not think it is uncommon for us to look at others and think how our life would be different if I just or if I just didn’t, and so on.

No matter what may make us wish for something different in our lives, there will always be another person that would want what we have.

Life is made of choices. We can choose to be envious of others, or we can choose to be content. We can accept our choices, or we can choose to make changes in our life, or how we love and treat others, or we can pray for changes that may be out of our control, and we can always accept that we are where we are because that is where He wants us to be.

It’s your choice.

Only you can choose your happiness.