Youknowhowwonderfulyouare,andyouknowthatothersknowhowwonderfulyouare,butwhatdoyoudowhenadmirationcrossesoverthelineintojealousy?Formostteenstherewillcomeadaywhenyourealizethatoneofyourfriendsisjealousandthatthisjealousyishurtingyourfriendship.Whenthishappens,itcanseemlikethereisnothingthatyoucando,butthegoodnewsisthatthereis.Don’tletjealousyspoilyourrelationships.Tackleitheadonandyoumightbebacktonormalmuchsoonerthanyouthink.
Itcanbehardtowalkuptoafriendandaskthemwhattheproblemis,butifyouwanttosaveyourfriendship,you’llhavetodojustthat.Don’tapproachthemandaskwhytheyarejealousofyou(unlessofcourseyouwanttoappeartotallyconceited),justtakesometimealonewiththemandletthemknowthatyou’vebeenfeelinglikethere’sbeensomethingcomingbetweenyou.Iftheyrefusetorespond,thenusetheopportunitytoexplainhowyouhavebeenfeeling.Chancesarethatsomethingyousaywillstrikeanerveandyourfriendwillopenupaswell.
Whenyoufigureoutwhatisannoyingyourfriend,askhimorherwhat(s)hethinkswouldmakethesituationbetter.If,forexample,(s)hesaysthat(s)hefeelslike(s)hedoesn’tgettospendanytimewithyoubecauseofyourbeingoffwithyournewfriendsfromteeswimteamthenmaybeyoucouldinviteheralongthenexttimeorblockoffonedayaweekforjustthetwoofyou.Remember,though,thatwhateversolutionyoudecideonshouldbeacompromise.Don’tlimityourowntalentsoropportunitiessimplybecauseyourfriendisunhappy.Tryinsteadtoincludehimorherinyournewlifeandseehowthatworksout.
Eventhebestoffriendshipscanbetingedbyjealousy.Thisdestructiveemotionisrarelyproductiveandcanturnbestfriendsintoworstenemies.Beforetakingextremeaction,chatwithyourjealousfriendtoseeifthetwoofyoucanworkoutacompromise.Ifyoucan’t,bepreparedtoknowexactlyhowfaryouwillgotokeepyourfriendandhowfaryouwon’t.
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