You can admire a life without wanting the work that keeps it running.

Admiration usually attaches to a result and skips the maintenance underneath it. The smallholding, the big house, the boat, the career: each is held up by a schedule someone actually lives, most of which is unglamorous and never photographed. Liking the picture is not the same as wanting the Tuesday.

The next time you find yourself envious, look for the ongoing cost rather than the moment. Ask what that life requires every week, in hours and attention, and ask honestly whether you would want those hours. Sometimes the answer is yes, and now you know what to build toward. Often the answer is no, and the envy simply lets go.