The Grass is Greener Where You Water It

Today has been a rainy day here in Vancouver. I know, I know, rain is good for the grass and flowers and the environment and so many other things too but sometimes all you want to see is a beautiful sunny day & to soak up the warmth and vitamin D while getting a bit of a tan!

This morning as I sat sipping my hot cup of lemon & ginger tea contemplating the rain after my meditation and observing how it saturated everything around it, a simple thought came to me from a podcast I had listened to a while back from Rich Roll. It read:

”The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, It’s greener where you water it.”

Well if that isn’t a metaphor for my life right now (and I’m sure countless others) then I don’t know what is!

Everybody goes through transition phases. Maybe you feel like you are stuck in a rut and think that starting over somewhere new will help get you moving again. But who’s to say that once you start over the grass in your new place won’t become brown as well?

First you should look at what caused the grass to  become brown in the first place. Did you take care of it? Water it? Fertilize it? Weed out unnecessary impurities? Well if your answer no, then you can’t really be surprised that your grass isn’t thriving.

To me, grass is like a metaphor for life. Lets break it down.

Step One: Prepare Your Turf

Basically prepare your life! Are you ready for a new beginning? Have you gotten rid of any things that can be hindering your growth? If so, move on to step two! If not, take some time to do some soul-searching and prepare your mind, body and soul for change. One of my daily rituals is to sit down in complete silence and stillness, removing all distractions out of the way and simply observing my thoughts. Observing what comes and goes in my mind without clinging to anyone one thought.

Step Two: Spread Your Grass Seed

Now that your turf is ready, you can plant your seeds. The ground is ready to receive them. The same goes for your life. Once you have done the ground work, you are now ready to set your plans (seeds) in motion such as taking the steps to complete your post-secondary education, focusing on your health, getting yourself financially stable or putting time in to relationships that you want to be long-lasting. You plant the seed by setting a clear intention of what it is that you would like to achieve. This is where I usually use a journal and write down affirmations while setting my daily, monthly or yearly goals.

Step Three: Water and Watch It Grow:

After you plant seeds, you have to water it in order for it to grow. For life, watering simply means taking care of it. Take care of the life you were given, set yourself up for success (whatever success means to you) by aligning yourself with your intention, showing up for yourself, and making the right choices in your daily routine. How you spend every day is how you spend your life. Be mindful in every decision you take and ask yourself if it serves your higher purpose.

At the end of the day, don’t worry about what’s going on with anybody elses grass. The less time you spend worrying about their grass, is the more time you have to work on yours! Take pride in what you have and do your very best to feel nourished and at peace with your grass (life).

How will you be taking care of your grass?