This happened 5 years ago and the reactions shocked me…

Happy snowy Monday!

Here in the Netherlands we’ve been covered (well, most of the country) by a thick blanket of gorgeous snow. This doesn’t happen a lot, so the country is either off sledding, building snowmen, or…..complaining about the snow. 🙂
In any case, I hope your week is off to a warm start!

Exactly 5 years ago, this happened.
I was featured prominently in the prestigious NRC newspaper.

And not only that….I was also on the front page.
Front page news!

And….not only that….I was ABOVE THE FOLD.
The most coveted newspaper real estate that one could get.
So there I was…

This was a Big Deal to me.
I was thrilled.
So what did I do?
I shared it. Far and wide.
I wanted people to read it and get inspired.
To feel motivated to never give up on their dreams.
To see how I created a career that I just made up, and a life that I’m really proud of.

When I came to this country I knew only 2 people.
I didn’t speak a word of Dutch.
I knew nothing.
I had a safe, well-paid job, and I left it to follow my dreams.
Fast forward, 21 years later, I’m living my dream every single day.

Being recognised and daresay celebrated in such a way, from such an established and credible media source, brought tears to my eyes.
And when I shared it, people reacted.
Many were proud of me.
Many were happy for me.

But some people were jealous of me.
They let me know that very clearly.

It took me a long time to wrap my head around their reactions.
I’ve never been jealous before.
I always see the success of others as truly inspiring and motivating.
That’s why I share my successes (and failures!) so freely, if I feel they are relevant to a situation.

I had to break it down for myself. It kind of went like this…

1. They read/didn’t read the article
2. They had a perception that I had/achieved something they did not
3. They didn’t like me as a result
4. They didn’t like themselves as a result

I honestly don’t understand why someone would be jealous of someone else.
This article came out after I had been working full time for myself for 15 years.
I put in my 10,000 hours a long time ago.
I think sometimes people might not be willing to put in the work.
To try something new.
To fail and to fail often.
To learn, to grow to tweak, to fail, and to fail a little less the next time.

This is how I have grown and I will always share my business and life lessons with others when relevant in the hope that it will inspire and motivate them to follow their dreams and to keep believing in themselves.

The next time you feel jealous of someone, ask yourself these questions:

1. Is their success real? Maybe it’s just a filtered post on social media?
2. If their success is real, how did they do it?
3. Is this something that I would also be willing to do?
4. Can I reach out to them and find out more about how they did it?
5. What lessons can I start applying to my own life?
6. Am I willing to put in the work?
7. Am I willing to fail?
8. Am I willing to share my successes and failures freely, and honestly, in the hope that others can learn from it?

I hope this helps you ditch the jealousy.
Be happy for people.
For some reason, good news travels fast but bad news travels so much faster.

Let’s all try to celebrate what we can, when we can.
What’s something you did that you are really proud of?
Share it and let me know!
I’m so happy for your success.
May it continue forever!

Liefs,
Buffi