The Grass is Always Greener…

You know that old quote “The grass is always greener on the other side”?

I justlearned a new variation on it and I LOVE it.

In my last post, I mentioned that I’ve been struggling with negative comparisons—both with myself and others.

I got some really wonderful comments and emails from people sharing their struggles, insights, and more than a few encouraging words. You have no idea how much I appreciated it—it absolutely made my day.

But there was one email that stood out in particular. Someone wrote me back and shared a quote that their (very brilliant and insightful) wife told them.

The quotewas simple:

The grass is always greener where you water it.

Thatabsolutely blew me away.

Think aboutit: we always look elsewhere and see what others have, and that’s what gets us comparingnegatively. The quote “The grass is always greener on the other side” is allabout being content with what we have, to find happiness in our current state.

But thisversion takes it one very important step farther.

It’s notjust about contentment with our current state; it’s about DOING SOMETHING aboutour situation to make it that “greener grass” we want.

I’m thekind of person who HATES people who complain about their situation but don’t doanything about it. If I see a problem, I tackle it head-on and do everything Ican to fix it. (Much to my wife’s irritation, heh.)

So thisquote really resonated with me.

Suddenly,it’s not about me comparing what I have, who I am, how skilled I am with otherswho I see as more successful, smarter, or “better” than me.

Instead, theresponsibility is back on me, reminding me that if I want to be smarter, moresuccessful, or better, I just need to water my own damn grass and improve mysituation.

THAT issomething I can focus on much more easily, a tangible, concrete concept fareasier to wrap my brain around than something as vague as “don’t comparenegatively”.

The post The Grass is Always Greener… appeared first on Andy Peloquin.