Celebrate the Waymakers
Convert envy into gratitude, celebration, and constructive possibility
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~weeks to results
- Steps
- 6
- Confidence
- 98%
Celebrate the Waymakers uses a three-stage shift from envy to gratitude to celebration. First, catch the automatic comparison and explicitly test whether the thought is envy. Next, redirect attention toward something already present in your own life, interrupting the sense that another person's gain proves your lack. Then actively celebrate the achiever and reinterpret the result as evidence that a path exists. The person becomes a waymaker: someone whose house, promotion, launch, feature, or creative project demonstrates a possibility others may pursue. Genuine celebration also changes social behavior. Instead of withdrawing or projecting resentment, you build relationships with people whose progress expands your expectations. The aim is not to deny ambition but to transform its emotional fuel from scarcity into hope and constructive action.
Origin
Jasmine Star realized that envy had become an unconscious default even after she possessed more than she once imagined possible. Beginning in 2018, she deliberately filtered comparison thoughts, replaced them with gratitude, and then celebrated the people achieving what she wanted. She found herself happier, more hopeful, and surrounded by relationships with people who also celebrated her.
Core principles
- 01Envy often operates as an unconscious habit
- 02Gratitude interrupts scarcity-based comparison
- 03Another person's achievement can be evidence of possibility
- 04Genuine celebration creates stronger relationships
How to run it
- 1
Catch the Comparison
Pause when another person's achievement creates tension, resentment, or a sense of personal lack.
Pro tip Pay attention to instant thoughts beginning with why them, I wish, or that should be me.
Watch out Unexamined envy can disguise itself as criticism or indifference.
- 2
Apply the Envy Filter
Ask directly whether the reaction is envy and name the specific thing you want.
Pro tip Treat the answer as information about desire rather than evidence of bad character.
Watch out Do not shame yourself for noticing the emotion.
- 3
Return to Gratitude
Name something real in your present circumstances that you value.
Pro tip Choose a concrete counterpart, such as appreciating your current home when comparing houses.
Watch out Gratitude should interrupt scarcity, not require abandoning future goals.
- 4
Celebrate the Waymaker
Congratulate the person sincerely and recognize the effort or milestone involved.
Pro tip Use a direct private message or specific public acknowledgment when appropriate.
Watch out Performative praise without genuine goodwill will not change the underlying pattern.
- 5
Extract the Possibility
Ask what the achievement demonstrates about the path, market, skill, or opportunity.
Pro tip Identify one lesson instead of copying the person's exact choices.
Watch out Their result is evidence of possibility, not a guarantee of identical outcomes.
- 6
Act from Hope
Choose a small action that advances your own ambition while preserving the celebratory relationship.
Pro tip Let inspiration produce practice, outreach, or planning rather than passive wishing.
Watch out Do not convert renewed ambition into a fresh cycle of comparison.
In the wild
An entrepreneur feels an immediate pang when a peer launches a successful podcast. She identifies the reaction as envy, notes her gratitude for her own established audience, and sends a sincere congratulations. She then studies the consistency and positioning behind the launch and schedules her first pilot recording.
→ Comparison becomes a useful signal, the peer relationship strengthens, and the entrepreneur takes concrete action.
Common mistakes
Suppressing the Envy
Pretending the reaction does not exist prevents you from learning what it reveals about your desires.
Using Gratitude to Quit Wanting
Appreciating the present does not require eliminating ambition; it changes the emotional basis for pursuing it.
Offering Performative Praise
Celebration only builds connection when it is sincere rather than a tactic for gaining access or approval.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for ambitious people who frequently encounter peers' visible achievements and feel diminished by them.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for ignoring structural barriers, suppressing valid disappointment, or tolerating unethical conduct simply because it produced success.
From the transcript
“I made the active decision in 2018 to change from envy to gratitude.”
“You're showing me what is possible.”
“By celebrating others, I created a network of people who celebrated me”
From the episode
Five Mindset Shifts For Business Growth