Jealousy causes us to be inwardly focused. The more we fixate on what others have, the more angry, resentful, and bitter we become.

You can’t be at your best as a writer when you’re angry, resentful, and bitter. Those emotions are like an empty well that is dry and lifeless. They will suck the life right out of you.

So how do you replenish your well? The answer is to stop focusing on what you don’t have, and start focusing on how you can help others.

It’s natural to think of ourselves first—what we need, what we want, what we lack. But just as others have things we want, we have things others want. No matter where you are on your writing journey, there are always people who are behind us.

Helping others and working on your own success are not opposites. They are two sides of the same coin. As Bob Burg and John David Mann say in their amazing book The Go-Giver, “Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.”

As it turns out, the best way to help yourself is to be more generous with others. The key is that jealousy is rooted in taking. Generosity is rooted in giving.

You can be generous in a million different ways. The point is to find another person who you can help in some way. It doesn’t need to involve a big plan, or even cost you anything. Just keep your eyes and ears open, and you’ll be surprised at the simple ways you can help others.

Since you’re a writer, I would recommend that the very best place to start is by buying someone’s book and sharing it on social media. That’s a simple, yet very effective way to support a writer. And in the process of thinking more about how to help others rather than fixating on what other people are doing and feeling bad about yourself, you will begin to transform your emotions.

Daily Question: Who is one writer in your circle whose book you can purchase and share?