Years later, St Peter asked this woman to watch the gates of heaven for him. While the woman was guarding the gates, her husband’s secretary arrived.

The woman asks the secretary “How have you been?” “Oh, I’ve been doing pretty well since you died. I married your husband not long after. Then we won the lottery. I convinced him to sell that ugly mansion your parents left us and we bought a nicer mansion. We travelled all around the world. On vacation today while skiing I fell, hit my head on my ski, and here I am. By the way, how do I get in?” “You have to spell a word,” the first wife told her. “Which word?” the second wife asked. “Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis.” Before you ask, that is actually a word.

I do believe that if somebody dislikes you for no reason, 11 times out of 10 it’s because they’re jealous of you on some level.

Now, I’m not talking about discrimination or bigotry or people disliking you because you remind them of someone they don’t like (more common than you think).

And I’m certainly not talking about people who dislike you because of something you did in the past they didn’t like that you’ve forgotten all about. I’m talking about those people who dislike you for no reason. 

Envy has been around since the dawn of humanity. The Bible states “it was the devil’s jealousy that brought death into the world”, and we all know why Cain killed Abel.  

Envy is that unhappiness at the sight of another’s goods and an unsavoury desire to acquire them, even unjustly. Jealousy can even lead to wishing harm on people you don’t even know. 

I’ll give you an example. I admit I’m a one-toothed ... I mean, one-eyed Collingwood Magpies fan.

So it’s challenging to hear how much flack, even hatred, people have directed over the years towards Collingwood, its fans and even our club president Eddie McGuire right up to the AFL grand final on the weekend. What explains all this better than envy?

Could it be that Collingwood’s critics wish their team’s fans were as diehard and crazy as Collingwood fans?

Could it be that they wish their club’s president wore their heart on their sleeve as much as Eddie does for Collingwood?

I think much of people’s hate for Collingwood is actually envy, and they don’t even know it.   

All this is fairly harmless, even fun … except maybe for Eddie, I’m musing.

However, envy can lead to the worst crimes. We fight one another, and envy arms us against each other.

Beauty is a curse, but I’ve learned to manage mine. In my younger years, I was almost going to be a model. Unfortunately it turned out I wasn’t all that good looking. 

Seriously. Why is it a curse? More than once I studied or worked with a woman who was strikingly beautiful and yet, at the same time and for the same reason, she was hated by some of the other women. This thing starts in childhood and never really ends. 

If you’re jealous of someone, end it today, if only for your own mental and spiritual health.

You’re focusing on your failures and their success. You can’t see all their failures and insecurities too.

It’s difficult advice, but either forget them or admire their success and copy their dedication.

If people are jealous of you, it’s ultimately a compliment. You have what they want.

If people are jealous of you, follow the same good and loving advice you give to your own children.

Ignore them and, if possible, hang around with other people.

Harley Davidson said “When writing the story of your life, don't let anyone else hold the pen”.

When you try and please those who are jealous of you, you’re letting people who don’t like you – even hate you – write your life’s story.

Twitter: @fatherbrendanelee