Sometimes people confuse envy  with jealousy , using them interchangeably as if they shared the same definition. But their meanings are in fact slightly different. Envy is wanting something that someone has that you perceive as lacking or absent in your life. Jealousy  is being afraid to lose something that is already yours. If you have a burning desire to have your co-worker or boss's job -- especially if you've been passed over for it in the past -- you're likely envious of him. If you wish you could have your neighbor's car, your sister's charisma, or your gym teacher's physique, you may very well harbor some envy . On the other hand, if your blood begins to boil when you see your spouse talking to the attractive cashier at the grocery store -- whose smiles and suggestive looks leave little doubt she's being flirtatious -- you're jealous.  In other words, envy involves comparing oneself to someone else and begrudging the fact that we...

Many people feel that if they're unsuccessful at something, they've failed -- not just themselves, but others as well. They take a defeatist attitude, convincing themselves that they're losers. They second-guess their decisions.  They beat themselves up over not trying hard enough.  They tell themselves that if only they had said this or done that, they might have prevailed.  I'm here to tell you this:  You don't lose. You either win, or you learn. For example, maybe you didn't get the job, but you realize you can polish your resume a bit and work on improving your interviewing skills. Perhaps you made a couple of uncouth remarks on your blind date that are likely to blame for the fact you never heard from the person again. This shows you that thinking before you speak might be something to shoot for.  Or, maybe you failed an exam you assumed you could pass by cramming for a few hours the night before, demonstrating how importan...

Want to know a quick and easy way to feeling happier? Be grateful . It's as simple as that. A week or so ago, I had quite a scare. When I got home from work last Friday evening, I got a bad vibe -- a "something is missing" vibe. To my dismay, while using my cell phone, I noticed that my wedding band was not on my finger!  I hadn't the slightest clue where it could be; I couldn't even remember the last time I'd seen it. It's one of those things where you grow so accustomed to having or seeing something that you automatically assume it's always there. Unfortunately, it wasn't the first time in recent weeks that the ring had slid off my finger. It happened on another occasion where it fell in a drawer I was rummaging through to find a receipt. That should have been a warning to take the ring to get adjusted.) My wife and I frantically searched for the ring -- in our condo, along the walk paths outside, in my car. We even searched my cubicl...

Ever wonder why losing something seems so much more potent than gaining something? According to a concept known as loss aversion, our fear of loss is greater than our desire to gain. In other words, we prefer not to lose $10 than to find $10. Some studies have suggested that losses are psychologically twice as powerful as gains. It's no wonder, then, that consumers are so easily swayed by ads that include verbiage suggesting that time is of the essence, like "while supplies last" and "this offer ends soon." Even if we might not want or need a product, we take advantage of the offer -- just so that we don't miss out. The person who said, "You don't know what you have until it's gone" was onto something. When we lose something, we lament the absence of something that may never come back. In many cases, they can be things that hold some sentimental value, like an old shirt or Teddy bear. Gaining something -- say, buying a 201...