We've all heard the phrase, “The Grass is Greener on the Other Side.”
It is a phrase that has been used for years to describe how the average person looks at someone else's life or another situation and thinks it is better than their own.
Is the grass greener on the other side?
The other day I was listening to the radio and caught Justin Bieber's latest hit right when these lyrics were sung:
“But the grass ain't always greener on the other side,
It's green where you water it.”
I realize that Beiber's song is a love song, but I couldn't help taking that line into my own context. I sat there thinking, boy that is so right, literally* and figuratively! It is one thing to longingly look at another situation and something totally different to look at your own and determine if you've been “watering the grass enough.”
I sat and asked myself some questions and I thought I'd share them here for you:
- Have you been looking at someone else's “grass” and wishing you were on their “lawn”?
- What action have you been taking to make your grass grow?
- What seeds have you been planting to fill in gaps?
- What grass have you been watering in your business garden? What have you been fertilizing?
What do you think?
What does that line in the song mean to you? Does it have you asking some questions? I'd love to hear your thoughts.
To your “watering” success!
Until we talk again,
Live Fully — Love Openly — Laugh Often — Leverage Your Brilliance — Connect Authentically — Get Your Message Out — Serve with Impact — Prosper Everyday
Brenda Spandrio says
Love this post and the concept! I have to fight my own negative thinking (weeds) constantly. I get whiny, thinking it’s not fair that other people seem to have more success (a greener lawn) than I when the fact is that they tend to it better than I!
Great post!
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Brenda – Thanks for adding to the visual imagery. Yes, it is easy for weeds to crop up in a business owners mind. That is why having a solid mindset and people that can help you clear them away is so critical! Glad you liked the post.
Julia Neiman (@julianeiman) says
I learned long ago that I don’t want anyone else’s grass. If their grass is greener, maybe they are using chemicals to keep it green. I prefer organic. I prefer to tend to my own grass thank you. At least I know what I have.
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Julia – Welcome and thanks for dropping in! Yes, tending our own yard does allow us to really know what is going on doesn’t it?
michele price says
Yes it is a great perspective to remind ourselves to feed or water what we want to grow for life and our businesses.
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Michele – Great to see you today. Yes! Life and business. Thanks for adding that life part in because it is critical to water in all of the important areas of our life.
Vikki says
Now, my “grass” has been green throughout the drought and I have not watered it. On closer inspection, one would discover that my “grass” is, in fact, creeping charlie – which apparently withstands any number of seasonal conditions.
My take on the “grass is always greener” saying would be to evaluate the other person’s “grass” to be sure that what you’re coveting is truly what it appears to be!
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Vikki – LOVE IT! You make an excellent point and added a great question to the list. It is so true that sometimes we look at a situation thinking that we know what is going on, when in fact we really don’t until we look closer.
Lisa says
So true! I tend to think of others having their own challenges. On the surface, you can never really tell or know what someone else is going through. Their life might suck and you’d never know it. Comparing oneself to others can a be a big trap, for sure. I think everyone’s grass just is. It’s different shades of green and it’s all good. I know this is very Zen of me 🙂 Thanks for making me think 🙂
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Lisa – Thanks for dropping by. You are sharing a very healthy perspective here. Love the ZEN! It is interesting, but as I take my nature walks with my dog and sometimes son, we often marvel at the various colors God has painted onto the landscape and how they all work together to make very beautiful landscapes. The same is true when you look at the various people or businesses around us. The diversity is what makes this experience interesting!
Kaye Dennan says
If you are working hard on your grass you don’t usually have time to look at the other paddock, but in saying that if you do look you can always say, “What the heck, mine will be longer and greener!”
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Kaye – Hi. Very true. I often talk about taking “decisive productive action” here on my blog. When you have a plan and actively “water your grass” you are in a much better mindset for defining your success.
cassie says
You know, I do tend to look at others’ grass (both literally and figuratively) and wonder what I’m doing wrong at times. But after contemplating the issue, I usually decide that(1)I’m happy with what I’ve got/what I’m doing (because I really do have a pretty awesome life) or (2)I absolutely need to make some changes, but I know that what works for the other person might not necessarily work for me. (Then the trick is to figure out how to put those changes into action, of course!)
I’ll chime in about the “real” grass issue as well. Since it was such a bummer summer re: rain, I’ve decided I’m grateful that I have a shady front yard. I used to get frustrated because grass had a hard time growing there, but the stuff that does grow doesn’t look any worse than usual for this time of year. Part of that is due to an abundance of clover, which I have chosen to embrace rather than chase away! (No chemicals on this lawn, either.) 🙂
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Cassie – Absolutely! Figuring out what works for YOU vs copying what works for others is a really important realization and step. That is exactly why one of our standing tag lines is “You don’t have to do it our way, because we’ll help you find your way!” Then, as you noted, once you know what is the right action for you to take, you’ve got to “water that grass” and take action.
Lynn Dorman says
A good reminder to pay attention to your own “grass” and cultivate your own “garden.” Too often we compare ourselves to others and don’t see our own accomplishments….thank you
Lynn
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Lynn – Great point! Super achievers (and many of my readers are) often have difficulty seeing their achievements. It is not only good to “water our own grass” but to stop and recognize when there is good growth.
Joy Phillips says
Stephanie — I LOVE this post! Came at just the right timing for me too because I did get caught up in looking at too many other people’s grass (websites) yesterday and wishing I was on their lawn. LOL Looking and thinking the grass is always greener leads me to self-doubt every single time. So what great timing for this post. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
–Joy Phillips
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Joy – Thanks so much for dropping by. I’m thrilled it had good timing for you. Your site is beautiful! It makes me smile every time I go out there. Enjoy it for what it is now. The awesome thing about online communication is that you can change, improve or remove stuff at any time. Yes, the grass is greener often leads to self-doubt and that is a progress killer every time. I’m glad you have some new perspectives.
Lisa says
Yes, diversity is nice. But, the closer I connect with the divine myself, the less I notice the differences between people and things. I see way more similarities. 🙂
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Lisa – re: diversity – On the broadest levels I completely agree that we have more similarities than differences. I think that is true of humans as well as all other living beings on this earth. It is through our similarities that we find connection.
However, I also believe in valuing what makes each of us unique. Just like a jigsaw puzzle piece. The puzzle piece has many things in common with other pieces, however, there are different shapes and colors to each piece. When all put together it makes an amazing picture. If every piece was exactly the same, the image would be much less dynamic.
Joumana says
To me that sentence simply means that wishing by itself is never enough. You need to take the necessary actions to get you what you want, to translate your wishes into reality.
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Joumana – Thanks for sharing. I agree.
Minette Riordan says
I loved this post Stephanie! I believe that what we focus on grows and if we put all of our energy into focusing what is outside of us, we don’t focus on taking care of and nurturing our own gifts or roots if you will. I love that you chose not to water the grass, it shows how you respect and care for the environment around you.
Stephanie LH Calahan says
Minette – I like the way you say “if we put all of our energy into focusing on what is outside of us, we don’t focus on taking care of and nurturing our own gifts” so true! Thanks for sharing.
Christina says
Maybe part of the key is thinking that your grass is green to you and not so much as whether it actually is a different color to someone else.
Stephanie LH Calahan says
🙂 Ahh. Christina, that sounds like a conversation I had the other day with my son when I told him the sky was purple. An interesting discussion ensued. Thanks for sharing.