I posted on my Facebook status the other day: "The grass isn't greener on the other side, it's greener where you water it." It made me smile just how many people took the time to like it.
Everyone has experienced the "Grass is Greener Syndrome" at least one time in their life. In a world that is advancing everyday, we are presented with so many choices of how we want to spend our time. 50 years ago, our grandmothers were probably giving birth to litters of children and spending a great deal of their lives at home while their husbands worked from dusk til dawn. These days, we can google just about anything and open businesses that serve clients all across the globe. We can make travel arrangements through one simple website and get masters degrees without ever having to leave the house. It's amazing, really.
But with all these choices to make and all these new avenues to explore, it's easy to get restless. We can't be content with what we have because we're always wondering about the next big thing. We get the feeling that we're not doing enough with ourselves and if we're not out there living a hugely impactful life, we're failing. We consistently imagine that someone out there is enjoying life more than we are because their choices are allowing them to live a more fulfilling life.
Shoulda, Coulda, Woulda. If our grandmothers had that attitude, it seriously could've put our very existence in jeopardy.
So, when I heard the lyric above on the new Justin Bieber CD (courtesy of Big Sean on "As Long as you Love Me" and yes, I like Justin Bieber), I thought "That is SO true!"
Yes yes, we always come up with excuses for ourselves as to why we long for a different life. I used to do that all the time. I would tell myself "I should've gone to graduate school " "I should've taken more time to travel" "I wish I could still party with all my friends" "I should've saved more money". And on top of that, I'd get jealous of all these people who ended up being doctors or took a year break from school to travel the world.
BUT THEN, I finally talked to one of these people that I was so jealous of. My good friend who is now a doctor told me that she wished she didn't sacrifice her relationship with her boyfriend to go to medical school abroad because now she is almost 30 and is still alone. She told me how she would look at MY pictures and be jealous of ME. How crazy is that?! It really put things into perspective.
So now, when it comes to "gardening" my life, I know I had to trim things here and there to make room for the more beautiful flowers. Negativity, dwelling on the past, and wishful thinking were just weeds. They hindered the beauty of my now awesome garden. So, after much thought and further examination of my situation, I came up with some reasons why I love my life just the way it is:
- I love that we are young parents. It means that when we're 40, we can travel the world together while our grown-ass children secretly throw parties at home.
- Being married means no more complications. No more "who breaks down and calls first to say sorry" game because there ain't no way in hell he's going anywhere without me knowing since all of our accounts are linked together.
- I got a my bachelor's degree and I'm proud of myself for that. College was one of the best times of my life and I made a lot of amazing friends. There will always be time for more education. It's never too late. But for now, I have an amazing job that gives me the flexibilty to do what I want (like write in my blog).
- Money didn't buy my happiness. Taking all those trips and eating all that amazing food did. A lifetime of memories was SO worth it. (Creditors, please consult me before stealing this for one of your commercials.)
So, that's me revelling in my life and all it's glory. Try it sometime. Write down what you're unhappy with at the moment and evaluate it thoroughly. You may find that your life is more fulfilling than you think.
