At the start of this year, I created a digital vision board, and while I was scouring Pinterest for words & images that resonated with me, freudenfreude jumped out at me. It’s inspired by the German word for “joy” (freude) and it means finding pleasure in another person’s good fortune. I can’t think of a better theme to anchor my year.

I spend a lot of time scrolling Instagram and it’s easy to feel like everyone is having the time of their lives, except me. I like to think I have enough perspective to understand that most people are only posting their highlights. They are only sharing a few moments of each day and a few posts could never capture the fullness of someone’s life. Nonetheless when someone’s posting an update from the Amalfi Coast while I work from my dimly lit home office / gym, it’s hard to conjure up any feelings of joy. So I decided to challenge that.

To me, this is part of tapping into an abundance mindset rather than one rooted in scarcity. Italy isn’t going anywhere, and last time I checked, there are flights heading to Positano regularly. And trust me, I’ve checked. I’m choosing to view the experiences, successes & accomplishments of others as inspiration, as proof of what can be done. So whether it’s a brand collaboration, new promotion or amazing vacation, seeing other people reach new heights helps me envision how high I can go.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t ever get a twinge of “Why not me?” I just try to counteract it. When I see someone on a luxe vacation, I think, one more place to add to my travel bucket list. When I see an influencer with a new feature or collaboration, I try to consider it motivation to be more consistent and fearless with creating content. My blog and social media platforms have always been about connecting with other people who share my interests and exploring creative pursuits. Now that I’m working longer hours and almost 100% from home, connection and creativity are more important than ever, but lately my inner critic has been so loud. I’m hoping that being more intentional about celebrating other people’s wins will allow me to get out of my head and into creating and connecting instead.