Makonnen

(Musings) Grass is greener where you water it

Published: 2024-07-20

The saying “the grass is greener on the other side” often shows a natural human tendency to seek novelty, a perception of things as better, simply because we don’t have it. It’s a fun description of the mind’s constant search for what it lacks. You see it and hear it all the time in your life: career, relationships, or faith. More often than not, I’ve hated it because it doesn’t offer much except for explaining your state of being and not what to do with that from that point on. It can be a mindset that can lead us into the trap of dissatisfaction, believing we’re slaves to the idea that something else, somewhere else, will bring the fulfillment we’re chasing.

A more grounded perspective I prefer is found in the idea that “the grass is greener where you water it.” Instead of constantly looking outside ourselves, it suggests that growth and being content come from focusing on and nurturing what we already have.

The quote from Rubem Alves (or I’ve seen it attributed to him online), “The secret is not to chase the butterflies… It’s to take care of the garden so that they come to you,” beautifully captures this mindset. It reminds us that what we value, in faith, careers, or relationships, requires attention and care. When we tend to our own “garden,” it flourishes in ways we may not have expected.

Be gentle and kind with yourself on this, you are probably more harsh than you need to be already. The world is already harsh. Practice to improve, not to be perfect. You most likely won’t be. And look forward.

Galatians 6:7-9