The Grass is Greener on the Other Side…?
How many times in your life have you heard these words?
My guess would be too many to count. But the fact of the matter is, the grass is not greener on the other side, the grass is greener where you water it.
Greener grass is nothing more than a mirage. It may give a false sense of safety, abundance and even enlightenment but once one has stepped over to the other side, the new feelings wane and old ones return. But now with more baggage, problems and disdain for hopping the fence yet again.
Have you ever experienced beautiful, lush grass where every blade falls into its perfect posture, leaning over each other in support and encouragement? You can smell the dew on each bent curvature, compelling you to take your shoes off to further your experience.
I have experienced this rarity playing soccer for over 16 years as a young chap. What a simple joy to experience grass like this, no weeds, no rocks, level, soft, mailable ground. Perfection in each step, each bounce, crossover or move, I would get so lost in the beauty of the grass I would forget my pumping heart and simply enjoy the atmosphere of what was around me.
The most beautiful things in the world are the most simple. We must get back to the roots of real joy.
We step into this arena when we remind ourselves of the good things, the things we have now, the hard times we were able to overcome and all we have accomplished in the good, the bad and the ugly.
We are our worst enemy and to fight well, we have to get off the ropes of defense and learn how to utilize both defense and offense – you can’t have one without the other.
Our brains must be rewired, so we train our minds to think on where we want to go. If I want to stop a bad habit, I have to build what we call our fight power.
To change a problem, you must change the behavior. The response to life’s challenges cannot be the same reaction that created the issue in the first place.
Einstein once said, “No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it.”
And so, we rise.
We rise not by wishing things were different, nor by envying someone else’s lawn. But by picking up the hose, rolling up our sleeves, and watering our own patch of earth. We take inventory of what we’ve been given – our unique strengths, experiences, even our scars and begin to tend to them with intention.That grass over there may look perfect, but it has its weeds too. Ones you just can’t see from a distance.
Comparison steals contentment, but gratitude restores it.
The truth is, your ground – your life is fertile. It’s been broken, stepped on and weathered by seasons, but still it holds the potential for something beautiful to grow.
So the question becomes:
Will you be the gardener?
Will you return daily, patiently, faithfully to pull the weeds of resentment, to plant seeds of kindness, discipline, and joy?
Your peace doesn’t live in a distant field. It’s already under your feet just waiting to be nurtured.
Because in the end, the grass is greenest where you WATER IT.
