Envy

I was talking with my mentor last night, and it came up that I don't really have a real appreciation for who I am and all that I have. I understand that this attitude can be an impediment to my recovery, but I am unsure of how to develop a healthy appreciation for...me. And my life. My mentor didn't have a clear-cut answer either, and directed me to my Higher Power. Often when I am faced with something that seems unknown or impossible to me, I will ask God (the short name for my Higher Power) the question, "How?". How do I go about developing an appreciation for me, my life, and all that I have?
When I am truly open and receptive to the answer, I get answers in many different ways. Often God speaks to me through the people in my life. Sometimes God speaks to me through situations and events, or things I notice. Once in a while I get an intuitive thought that I don't know where it came from.
So here are the answers I received from my question:
My mentor has been in recovery for 12 years. Because he has been consistently applying spiritual principles to living, he has experienced the fruits of that. I was thinking about some of his material fruits, which include advancement in his career, a good relationship, a nice home, and two reliable cars. And that led me to think about a couple of my relatives, who also have all that stuff, and whom I envy. And that surprised me that I made that connection - I can't envy my mentor, can I? Envy is a form of resentment, and it is not good for my recovery, my mental health, nor my spiritual health.
One of my readings this morning talked about the idea that I can't receive gifts from God if my hands are full of resentments and other stuff from the past. In order to enjoy the abundance of blessings that surrounds me today, I need to be willing to let go of the 'stuff' of yesterday. 
This morning as I was riding my bike to a recovery meeting, I passed by an open air storage facility that I did not know existed. There were rows and rows of cars just sitting there parked. When I saw that, my thinking was, "What a waste. Those cars just sitting there, and me without a car." (Yes, a sense of entitlement goes along with my envy).
At the meeting, the topic was discovering our obstacles to our relationship with a Higher Power.
Ok, I get it. I can't get what I desire, both spiritually and materially, if I am focused on what other people seem to have spiritually and materially and think to myself, "Why can't/don't I have what others have?" Why is not a spiritual question; how is. How do I go about obtaining that which I desire (sobriety, sanity, peace of mind, stable employment that allows me to live comfortably, good relationships, etc.)?
I think the answer is in celebrating others' accomplishments and practicing gratitude for my own gifts and accomplishments, rather than focusing on what I think I don't have. I have a lot; I really, really do have a lot. But, up until now, I have been spending a lot of thought energy on what others have that I don't. It is time to celebrate what others have (for there is no 'private' good - we are all connected so what is good for you is good for me) and it is time for me to be truly grateful for the abundance of gifts that I have. Whatever I focus on grows and grows; if I focus on what I lack, my lack grows. If I focus on what I do have, that will grow.
Today I am grateful for the ability and willingness to see life in a new light.

Namasté,

Ken