5 Journal Prompts For When You Want More Contentment, Less Jealousy

One of my favorite parts of the writing life is connecting with fellow authors. Discussing the writing craft over in-real-life coffee or figuring out the publishing industry through a Zoom call thrills me.

But, because nothing is perfect, weeds sometimes spring from those friendships too. Writer friends make more progress than I do. They get an agent. They earn recognition from a major influencer that I also was hoping to get.

People progress in their writing journey at different speeds and sometimes, that can feel discouraging.

And from that discouragement can sprout jealousy. I start to compare, grow discontent with my work, feel tempted to throw it all in the trash.

So what’s a writer to do?

Process it. Ignoring jealousy will not make it go away. It’ll only grow. So confronting it is the only way out. My favorite way to confront? Putting pen to paper.

5 Journal Prompts to Process Jealousy

• What first caused this feeling?
• What belief do you hold that makes you feel this way? Is that belief true or false?
• How would you define “contentment”? What would that look like practically?
• What do you have that you forget in these moments? What are you grateful for?
• What would God, in his compassion and empathy, say to you in those moments of intense jealousy?

Below are a few verses addressing contentment and jealousy. I include these not to shame you out of your feelings, but encourage you with reminders of truth. Write them in your journal or hang them on your mirror if you need additional reminders.

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. – 1 Timothy 6:6-7

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. – 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Though the fig tree should not blossom,

nor fruit be on the vines,

the produce of the olive fail

and the fields yield no food,

the flock be cut off from the fold

and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the LORD;

I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

GOD, the Lord, is my strength;

he makes my feet like the deer’s;

he makes me tread on my high places. – Habakkuk 3:17-19