Where is the grass greenest?
While it's easy to wish for something new, maybe you're right where you need to be.
Gary Bloomer | SHAKING THE TREE # 229
We’ve all heard the saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side.”
It’s a metaphor for our tendency to believe other people have it better—whether in careers, relationships, or lifestyles.
But what if we stopped comparing and instead asked: Where is the grass actually greenest? When we take stock, we might finally see that the grass is just right where we are.
The illusion of "greener"
The feeling that the grass is greener somewhere else is due mainly to perspective. Success, happiness, and fulfillment aren’t about location, luck, or someone else’s circumstances. They’re about your consistent effort, intentionality, and perspective.
The Three Gardens of Life
1. The Neglected Lawn – Many people assume their situation is worse than others’ because they’re not tending to their own "lawn." Complacency, envy, or lack of action keeps them staring over the fence instead of planting seeds at home.
2. *The Over-Comparer’s Yard – Social media exacerbates the myth of greener grass. We see curated highlight reels, not the weeds beneath. Stop comparing your position now with someone else’s.
3. The Cultivated Garden – The greenest grass belongs to those who focus on their own patch. They invest time, learning, and gratitude into what they have—and it shows.
How to Grow Your Greenest Grass
Water What You Have: Skills, relationships, and opportunities grow with attention and intention, with focus and with constant tweaking. Stop chasing ideas of “more” or “better” and start improving what’s in front of you.
Pull the Weeds: Eliminate negativity—toxic habits, unproductive comparisons, or excuses. If that includes people as well, so be it. You don’t need the negative karma.
Fertilize with Gratitude: The quickest way to make your grass greener? Appreciate its current shade.
The answer?
The grass is greenest where you decide to nurture it. Stop looking across the fence.
Grab a hose, get to work, and watch your own yard flourish.
As always, thanks for reading.
—Gary
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Next time on Shaking the Tree: Honing your creative strengths
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Originally from the U.K., Gary Bloomer is a writer, branding advocate, marketing specialist, and an award-winning graphic designer.
His design work has been included in Creative Review (one of the UK’s largest design magazines). Since 2009, he has answered over 5,000 marketing and business questions in the Know-How Exchange of MarketingProfs.com, placing him among the top 3% of contributors. He lives in Wilmington, Delaware, USA.