Peering over the
fence she exclaims “There he goes again, mowing his lawn so early in the
morning. He wastes so much time in his garden, and it’s not as if it’s going to look any different from how
it did before!”
What is it about us
persistently obsessing over what others are doing on their side of the fence?
We’ve
heard it all before; be content and don’t compare yourself to others, because ‘the
grass is not always greener on the other side’ contradicting the popular statement
that says otherwise.
Yet in our human
nature we try to measure ourselves up against others and constantly compare our
lives and circumstances to theirs. We allow ourselves to feel somewhat
inadequate and dissatisfied if we don’t measure up to what we feel is the
standard.
There’s
an internal rush of wanting more and wanting to be more, which in itself is not
a bad thing, nevertheless the drive can often leave one feeling overwhelmingly
empty when left without what we think we need.
With the increased
popularity of social media; especially Instagram, the ‘layman’
now has easier access to peer into the
lives of many "celebrities" who are “living” the life that they aspire to have.
It has also brought
about a platform where everyone is now trying to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ and portraying a life that they feel is what people want to
see and not actually their reality [but enough on this topic, I will leave it
for another time, lest we get sidetracked].
Coming from a
completely different perspective, I will submit to you that often times the
grass is actually greener on the other side.
Yes, you read
right, that wasn’t a typo. I repeat: the GRASS IS often GREENER!
Hear me out, before
you totally switch off. It’s greener than yours for a reason.
That reason a lot of times requires sacrifice and willingness on our part that
often times we simply are not willing to make.
I may look at
another person and think they have it all made out for them (and rightly so
they may), however, have I ever stopped to ask the question “Am
I willing to do what they did to get to where they are?
Have I got the resolve to see my vision
through?...Ummm and there’s the answer!
Mr. Jones gets up
early to tend HIS garden, fertilize HIS plants and mow HIS lawn. He invests HIS
time, effort, and even money into beautifying HIS garden and making the lawn
thrive. Yet there YOU are, not willing to lift a finger let alone consider
getting your hands dirty, and you have the nerve to peer over the fence in
jealousy, which then leads to subtle discontentment with your own life.
Ultimately it all
boils down to the choices we make. Good or bad –
there are always consequences or
benefits. So lets choose wisely!
I think its time we
stop peeking over the fence in envy and choose to do something about making our
lawn look just as good if not better.
Is it creating
healthier eating habits? Saving more money or just investing more time in the
people that matter?...Then make the decision to act now, because what you sow is
what you will reap. Period!
With that in
mind, always remember to be grateful for what you have. Having a satisfaction
in knowing that “I
may not be where I want to be, but I am still grateful for who I am, what I
have become and where I am heading”, brings about peace and quickens the process of reaching
our desired goals.
Being grateful
changes our perspectives on things and melts away envy, humbling us and
bringing about an appreciation for the beauty in other gardens.
The grass may be
greener on the other side, but you can do something about making sure that you
are happy with how green yours is too. There really is no need to fall into the
trap of what is now seen as prominent comparison.
Picture your grass how you know it ought to be, and then take the necessary steps to making it a reality. Sacrifice now to enjoy later, and see through that vision of a greener lawn!
Watch the accompanying Vlog below:
Watch the accompanying Vlog below:
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