We’ve all heard the saying, “The grass is always greener on the other side.” It’s meant to remind us that what we don’t have often seems better than what we do. But that adage only applies to those who lack the awareness—or the common sense—to recognize the value of what they already possess. In reality, the grass isn’t greener elsewhere; it’s greener where you put in the effort to care for it.
When I was younger, my editor, Curt—spelled C-U-R-T, as he always reminded me—taught me a lesson that has stuck with me to this day. He told me, “The grass is never greener on the other side.” At first, it seemed like a contradiction to the old saying, but over time, I realized he was right. He wasn’t saying that things never improve or that you shouldn’t strive for more. What he meant was that if you keep chasing something you think is better, without nurturing what’s already in front of you, you’ll always be left wanting.
People who spend their lives hopping from one opportunity to the next, constantly seeking what someone else has, often find themselves in a perpetual cycle of disappointment. The truth is, no one’s success or happiness was built by envy or blind pursuit. It was built by dedication, persistence, and the willingness to tend to their own path. If you don’t water your own grass, it will wither and turn brown while you’re too busy staring over the fence.
Life doesn’t hand out rewards without effort. Hard work is the foundation of anything worth having. You don’t just wake up one day with a thriving business, a happy family, or personal fulfillment—you build it. You cultivate it. And if you spend your time expecting life to hand you something better without putting in the effort, your grass will always remain brown.
That’s not to say that change is never necessary. Sometimes, we do need to walk away from bad situations, unhealthy environments, or places that stifle growth. But the key difference is intention. Are you leaving something because you’ve put in the effort and realized it’s not working? Or are you leaving because you think an easier path exists elsewhere? If it’s the latter, chances are you’ll find yourself in the same situation again—only with another patch of lifeless grass beneath your feet.
The lesson is simple: if you want something meaningful, you have to create it for yourself. No shortcut, no handout, no greener pastures will ever replace the results of your own determination.
So, stop looking at what someone else has. Stop believing that happiness and success exist just beyond your reach, in someone else’s yard. Instead, pick up the tools, put in the work, and tend to your own. Because when you do, you’ll realize that the greenest grass is the one you’ve nurtured yourself.
