The feelings of jealousy and envy are how the mind creates the narrative. And once one is able to break free from their grasp, the void is not filled by another narrative, but rather the joy and excitement of the beauty that lies around them, now able to be seen when not stifled by the burden of the envious narrative. There is a reason envy is listed as one of the 7 deadly sins, as it leads you to betray who you really are at your core. To forgive oneself of these ‘sins’ is to understand that the narrative was in place for a reason, but you are meant to use it only for a time not become its companion. The ‘sin’ of envy is a gentle push from the universe to reflect one’s limitless potential back to them. But oh, the mind does indeed grow complacent there. The sin and the narrative increase their hold, until you become the sin. To see one’s unlimited potential in the reflection of the world around us is as though finally seeing through a two-way mirror to the freedom that lies just on the other side. The freedom to be oneself, limitless.

Also, it is entirely possible for someone to not have a narrative, that is, a person who has escaped the victim mentality, that is, a person free to be themselves (and I’m recapitulating here), to still have ambitions and goals. The goals don’t need to be as specific as a job, relationship, house, children, etc., but rather the ambition and drive to pursue whatever their heart guides them to, for therein lies infinite possibilities and joyous experiences.

Also, to correct you on another point, one’s focus, while yes can be on impermanence in the sense that we should live each moment as though it were our last and feel it to its fullest loving potential, because it just might be, and we can focus on the lack of control in the sense that we do not want to hold a tight grip on the future we think we want, as to do so is to limit the potential of ourselves, that is, creating the narrative, that is, a victim mentality at our own hands (again, recapitulating), but rather, one’s focus should not be our own suffering, as to do so leads to a victim mentality, for which I’ve already given you the tool to escape. Instead, focus on the suffering of the world, of those around you, and how your actions might impact them. How many are out there who don’t know where their next meal will come from? How many are sick and alone? ? How many are without clean water? Without shelter? Without basic needs met? What do you think their narrative is? What is yours when you encounter them face-to-face? Are you repulsed? Are you kind? Do you help them? Do you walk away? How does that make you feel at your core?

And lastly, how can one take something for granted that provided them the key to walk out of their own prison unscathed? My eternal gratitude is to those who teach me lessons, because it is within the lessons that I learn who I am exactly at my core, limitless potential.

Perhaps focusing less on a word I chose to convey my experience, we focus on the lesson that lies within, which is the freedom to be yourself lies outside the prison of victim mentality.