“The grass isn’t greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water it.”
Are other people more successful than you? When you look on social media, do other people’s lives appear better than yours? Do people seem more successful, beautiful, happier, healthier or prosperous than you?
I heard a fabulous quote recently by Neil Barringham. “The grass isn’t greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water it.” I LOVE this quote!!
This quote, “The grass isn’t greener on the other side, the grass is greener where you water it”, has the ability to help you live a happier life in 3 ways:
The 1st is: It allows you to celebrate people instead of being envious or being hard on yourself.
When you think someone’s body, or perhaps business, is better than yours, recognize one thing: this area in their life-is a place they “water”. An example is someone with a fantastic body. They spend their time, energy, resources, and literal sweat “watering” their health and physique. Do you “water” that same area in your life with the same tenacity? If not, than recognizing this area of their life is where they “water”, can cut out your envy factor and allow you to celebrate their accomplishments with them instead. How can you compare yourself to them when you are not “watering” that area of your life in the same way?
The 2nd is: It allows you to take control over certain areas of your life you are not happy with?
If there is an area in your life you are not “watering”-such as a your business-you can make a choice to spend the next 30, 60, 90 days fully investing your time, focus, energy and resources into “watering” it. By the end of that time period, you will see “growth”. In a challenging relationship? Try watering it. Spend extra time learning about what makes the other person “tick”, invest effort into using positive encouraging words or spending quality time. Go to counseling. “Water” your relationship and see if there is new growth.
The 3rd is: If you are stuck and can’t “go to the other side”, watering where you’re “planted” can improve your attitude and personal growth.
If you find yourself in a position where you “can’t go to the other side where the grass is greener”, try watering where you are planted. For example, if you are “stuck” at a job you are not happy in, but do not have the freedom or flexibility to find another one, try “watering” even though growth seems impossible there. Recognize this job may not have ideal growing conditions for you. However, if you choose to “water” ever day for the next 30, 60, 90 days you’d see growth in ways you are not expecting. Ideas on how to water in a job you’re not thrilled with? Try sowing kind words into your co-workers daily-whether they deserve it or not. Try giving a little extra effort on a project or when dealing with a difficult customer. Spend some extra “resources” buying your boss a birthday cake. You may never “flourish” completely in this job, but if you’ve ever seen a tree growing out of a rock on the side of a mountain-it’s pretty incredible.
Unfortunately, very few things in life have an “automatic sprinkler system” where you can set it once and never worry about it again. Most good things worth having come from hard work and overcoming challenges. So choose an area of your life, pull out the garden hose and invest your time, money and effort into it for the next…you guessed it-30, 60, or 90 days. BECAUSE, “The grass isn’t greener on the other side, the grass is greener where you water it.”
Stacy Pederson is a Colorado based Humorist and Funny Motivational Speaker who is incessantly insecure with a chronic Thai Food / Netflix binge habit.