The Grass Is Greener Where You Water It
Ever fallen victim to the grass is greener syndrome? Ever felt stuck or trapped or just not happy on your own side of the fence, and gone looking into other yards for the answer?
Recently, it didn’t seem to matter who I talked to, I wasn’t doing the right thing, wasn’t doing enough in like…any aspect. “I should stay, I should leave, I shouldn’t care so much, I should care a whole lot more…” Add that to what I was telling myself and it got bad. I am tired. And hurting. And I just want to stop feeling sometimes. I want different, whatever that looks like.
Sure! I have struggles just like everyone else in life. I mean, college isn’t a walk in the park. But for me it is like everyone keeps kicking me while I was the one down and the only thing I can do is complement them on their shoes while they kick me. Because you know, I’m typically a nice person.
In Justin Bieber’s song “As Long As You Love Me,” there’s a line: “The grass ain’t greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it.” Yeah, I just quoted Biebs.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. About some major life changes. Major people change. Major…self changes. I’ve already had one leg over the fence to get to the other side. I’ve been committed to myself to the adventure of heading to the other side. Going away. Giving up everything I have now and away from the friends who ‘have it all.’ But now…I’m going for a different approach. Instead, I am now focused on improving my side of the fence. Is it going to be easy? Uh – HELL no. It has been the most difficult and heart-rending decision I’ve ever made with myself to even determine this. But in deciding to stop envying the grass across the fence, and choosing instead to water the grass under my feet, I am in hope that things will get better. You know, that for once I can be completely happy with everything going on in my life?
Beautiful gardens don’t happen by accident. They’re planned, weeded, pruned back, fertilized, watered, and tended regularly. This was the intentional, day by day, season after season, through drought, storms and insects, care and attention my life is going to require.
Is my life perfect? elohel No way. But it’s a whole lot better than what it was or has been in the past, and I am beginning to see the fruits of that hard work. I can look over the fence and see lots of other yards with better gardens, weed-free lawns, and trellises full of blossoms that took years to mature. It takes years and years of intentional effort and work to grow a beautiful garden and wouldn’t we all like to skip the work and just enjoy the rewards? But it doesn’t work that way. You reap what you sow.
Truth is, the lesson is in the day to day living that’s just plain old hard. You can’t help everyone. You can’t do everything. The growing is in the commitment to see something through, to be content with what you have, and see the blessings you already possess instead of wishing for what you don’t have.
The grass ain’t greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it.
Recently, it didn’t seem to matter who I talked to, I wasn’t doing the right thing, wasn’t doing enough in like…any aspect. “I should stay, I should leave, I shouldn’t care so much, I should care a whole lot more…” Add that to what I was telling myself and it got bad. I am tired. And hurting. And I just want to stop feeling sometimes. I want different, whatever that looks like.
I have been convinced the grass is greener on the other side.
All in all, I was convinced the grass is greener on the other side.
In Justin Bieber’s song “As Long As You Love Me,” there’s a line: “The grass ain’t greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it.” Yeah, I just quoted Biebs.
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. About some major life changes. Major people change. Major…self changes. I’ve already had one leg over the fence to get to the other side. I’ve been committed to myself to the adventure of heading to the other side. Going away. Giving up everything I have now and away from the friends who ‘have it all.’ But now…I’m going for a different approach. Instead, I am now focused on improving my side of the fence. Is it going to be easy? Uh – HELL no. It has been the most difficult and heart-rending decision I’ve ever made with myself to even determine this. But in deciding to stop envying the grass across the fence, and choosing instead to water the grass under my feet, I am in hope that things will get better. You know, that for once I can be completely happy with everything going on in my life?
Beautiful gardens don’t happen by accident. They’re planned, weeded, pruned back, fertilized, watered, and tended regularly. This was the intentional, day by day, season after season, through drought, storms and insects, care and attention my life is going to require.
Is my life perfect? elohel No way. But it’s a whole lot better than what it was or has been in the past, and I am beginning to see the fruits of that hard work. I can look over the fence and see lots of other yards with better gardens, weed-free lawns, and trellises full of blossoms that took years to mature. It takes years and years of intentional effort and work to grow a beautiful garden and wouldn’t we all like to skip the work and just enjoy the rewards? But it doesn’t work that way. You reap what you sow.
Truth is, the lesson is in the day to day living that’s just plain old hard. You can’t help everyone. You can’t do everything. The growing is in the commitment to see something through, to be content with what you have, and see the blessings you already possess instead of wishing for what you don’t have.
The grass ain’t greener on the other side, it’s greener where you water it.
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