Confession: I Am Jealous of My Peers

A Framework to Unmasking Jealously

I have a confession: I’m jealous of some of my peers.

Most people wouldn’t admit that—especially not to almost 9,000 people. But I’ve always been know to say the thing out loud, and it’s my superpower.

Also, shout out to Divergenthood—we’re nearly 9,000 strong. Let’s continue to make the spiritual practical for divergent minds. Share my work, and let’s make it to 10K by May!

But, back to the topic at hand: jealousy. My jealousy doesn’t come in the form of hate. I don’t despise people or wish for their downfall. It shows up as questions:

When will it be my turn?
What makes them so special?
What am I not doing enough of?

It’s the voice of my inner child—anxious to be picked, to feel special, to be seen and rewarded not later, but right now.

The truth is, my jealousy was rooted in frustration. I didn’t have the courage to live in my truth.

• I was scared to speak about unmasking as a spiritual process, so I focused only on unmasking autism.

• I wanted to share how grounding helped me survive and find purpose, but I defaulted to ADHD productivity hacks.

• I wanted to introduce Droopy Soul Syndrome, my term for the deep disconnection many neurodivergent people feel from their bodies—a disconnection tied to burnout, depression, and even suicide. Instead, I joined a suicide prevention board that focused only on the brain, missing the soul-centered point I really wanted to make.

It wasn’t until I read The Artist’s Way that I realized jealousy isn’t just an emotion—it’s a map, a compass pointing us toward spiritual alignment. When we feel jealousy, we’re witnessing someone embody something we already hold but haven’t yet expressed.

Jealousy is always a mask for fear, fear that we aren’t able to get what we want, frustration that somebody else seems to be getting what is rightfully ours even if we are too frightened to reach for it. - Julia Cameron

As a rising spiritual teacher, I felt jealous of those who spoke openly about their spirituality without fear. I see how their freedom has made room for prosperity, purpose, and deep connection. They’re not living someone else’s truth—they’re living theirs.

We all experience jealousy. It’s just another emotion. But shame often silences it. The ego says, Nope. Not me. So we ignore it instead of exploring it.

But what if we didn’t? What if we saw jealousy as a sacred map to find and face our truth?

The truth behind the illusion is that my jealousy was actually my spirit activating me—reminding me that I can do it too. What I desired was simply being mirrored back to me through my peers. They weren’t competition; they were confirmation. Now, I use those feelings as inspiration to walk my own path.

It doesn’t matter that I started later in life or changed careers—if anything, that’s exactly what makes my work relatable to those who didn’t have it all figured out by 30. Hell, I was unknowingly masking my divergence until I was 32, so I can speak to the reality of pivoting, overcoming burnout, navigating life with a disability, and looking damn good while doing it.

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Unmasking Jealously

The basis of Divergenthood is more than inspiration to unmask; it’s the tools to move that information out of your head and ground it into an aligned life. A life that doesn't leave you chasing trends only to be burned out two months later. Without tools and frameworks, you are left with more information to gargle through your brain—let’s spit it out and process it together.

Below is a three-step guide to help you understand what your jealousy is telling you about your path. This framework helps me uncenter others and recenter myself because we don’t need a map to understand others but ourselves.

April is all about having fun with my content, so if you enjoy posts like this, let me know in the comments! Also, don’t forget to like, share, and subscribe to help spread the word about Divergenthood and further the mission to make spirituality practical so we can unmask, ground, and live our best lives.

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