Personal Blog Post One: Professional Jealousy and Souring Success

Lionel Messi has missed a penalty. Usain Bolt has lost a race. Floyd Mayweather has lost a round.

The three statements above symbolise how the three very best in their field have endured a loss at some point in their careers, and you will to.

No one is handed the CEO position straight out of university, and success is no straight path.

This is a personal blog post, one that has built up from a couple of years of pent up anger, coming from a deep, dark place.

While yet to graduate from University (November) despite achieving a first, my previous work experience and success with productions have resulted in this rather large chip on my shoulder - one that could be blown away with a gust of wind.

A degree is no longer a job application in itself

A degree means relatively little within the world of media, with work experience and attitude the two boxes that are likely to place your application higher.

However, with two years working freely for a respected media production as well as producing more free work for a company that could have used the help, the feedback has always been positive, but yet the question of: 'why nobody wanted me?' absolutely broke me.

Over the summer I sweated on application after application, and while I saw others succeed, the green monster inside grew and grew.

Envy is a poison that threatens to ruin the purest of souls and it is a daily struggle to remind yourself that success is NOT a path with a shortcut, sometimes people have a head start but that is THEIR path, not yours.

Imagine being upset with Susan for accepting a position that not only improves her career, but comes with an increase in financial package, was she supposed to ask everyone in the office if she was okay to take the promotion? No, of course not.

Jealousy comes from a place of insecurity, your place, no one else's

Despite this clear knowledge, it is hard to shake the pain which my body experiences when I see someone, especially my age, achieving something I want to do, but that is purely down to my insecurities and lack of initiative in some cases.

It is almost like an out of body experience, as I wish nothing but love and well being for everyone.

For example: One recent graduate who has worked for a local radio station for the past two years and is now a regular news reporter, despite studying a completely different degree. Journalism is a rare field that can translate across various subjects such as sport, politics, education and so much more.

It puts things into context when people are succeeding where I want to succeed but yet I fully do not know the area I am currently embedded within, showing my degree is still one step within my industry as I still have a lot to learn.

Ask yourself how you can improve and be ready to never worry about jealous - be one step ahead

Even outside of my industry, I once felt a sense of jealousy because my girlfriend was cast in an acting role - that I have no interest within, am I just wired wrong?

Maybe it is a testament to my desire to learn and succeed that I am willing to feel upset when others race ahead of me despite being in a different race altogether.

Action, is not a mental concept, it is a physical one.

I know my path will one day line up with the land of success, but who knows when that will be?

I can only be the best possibly me.