The grass always looks greener on the other side. It’s a saying that you hear all the time and the lesson that we’re supposed to learn is that it could all be an illusion. We’re led to believe that the greener pastures over yonder may not be all that green when you get up close.
My Side of the Fence
However, there is an even greater lesson to be learned here. Even if we were to assume that the grass is indeed greener on the other side of the fence, it doesn’t matter. That’s because the grass on the other side isn’t yours and it is completely outside of your control.
Instead, you should be paying attention to the grass that is yours, the grass that is under your control. Sampling the greener grass on the other side my offer some short-term happiness, but you’ll know that it was never yours and it will never be yours.
Locus of Control
Even if the grass is indeed greener on the other side, it’s only your own lawn that you can nurture and grow. You may compare your grass with your neighbor’s, giving you that frame of reference, but you also have to be careful not to fall into the pit of “keeping up with the Joneses” too. They have their grass and you have yours.
This is not meant to stir up jealousy. Instead, you can focus that energy and turn it into motivation. There’s nothing wrong with asking for advice from your fellow neighbors, inquiring about how their grass got so green. Coupled with some good old-fashioned hard work, that knowledge can have your lawn looking lush and healthy too. And it is through this process that you can gain the satisfaction of turning your apparently less-green lawn into something lush and wonderful.
No Two Lawns Alike
At the same time, you can use your own strengths to your advantage too. Maybe your lawn lends itself to better irrigation using a different method. Maybe your lawn responds better to a different kind of fertilizer. Realize that there is no one-size-fits-all solution.
Stop fighting to get through to the other side of the fence. Stop forcing yourself between those bars and wires just to get a taste. Instead, look to your own lawn and grow it to the best grass that it can be. Then you can have all the green grass you want.
You really need to as you say “you should be paying attention to the grass that is yours, the grass that is under your control.”
That really lets you decide if you want to sit in another lawn or not. You shouldn’t look at the other lawn as better, but as another lawn that you might want to spend time at. There are times when you do have to move on, we all leave home, some get married, have kids. They are all different pastures or lawns.
Are they where we want to go? Is it greener? A lot of questions that we have to ask ourselves everyday.
Interesting points. Everyone always points out that age old adage, but don’t suggest making your own grass greener, like you have. It’s definitely true, what you have said. Our own side of the lawn is ours. It’s where our comfort zone lies. We should try to note what lead to the other side being greener and use it to make our own lawn that green, rather than trying to get on the other side.
nice picture used in this post