Greener Grass?... Think again... !!!

We are all very familiar with the proverb: "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence." We use this proverb to say that the things other people have or their situations always look better than our own, even when they are not really so. It is often shortened to: "The grass is greener on the other side," or even: "The grass is greener." The phenomenon is as old as the hills, but people still fall for it.

But... Is the Grass Always Greener on the Other Side? The answer is... 'NO'.

It's human nature to want what the other guy or gal has got. I know it, you know it, and even the God Almighty aka the Supreme Being knows it. Just think about it. If you order the chicken biriyani, you wish you ordered the chicken noodles instead, or maybe the mixed fried rice or perhaps the ghee rice with the chicken kabab or the grilled chicken... especially if the people sitting at the table next to you is really enjoying theirs. And if you ordered the KFC Zinger burger, you'd see someone really loving the Chicken Tikka Pizza, the Pizza Margherita, or the Mexican Pizza and wish you had that. Whatever you do, don't order the fish or the pork or even the mushroom! We're indecisive. We're insecure. And no one likes the feeling that they're missing out on something fun. Or, by the same token, that they could have done better than what they have. Ever heard of the "Buyer's Remorse?" Whether it's a pair of jeans, jackets, shoes, a hair cut, a car or a house, we second guess almost every decision we make, if even for a split second. If you're tall, you'll wonder what it's like to be short. If you're overweight, you'll wonder what it's like to be skinny... I can go on and on and on. It goes on every day, in every life. And it's OK to wonder. It's part of what makes us human... so very human.

Why do we always have the perception that other people's lives are better than ours? Why are we constantly trying to find something better? Why are we never satisfied with what we have? And why, oh why does the 'grass always seem greener on the other side'??? The answer is simple. When we observe other people's lives, it is usually only for a little while. And in that little while, we probably see these people on their best behaviours, and we immediately form a good impression of them. All we usually get is a tiny inkling of how they really are, and most of the times, we like it. But, as you get to know someone better, you realize - hey, this person is disorganized/messed up/has issues. They have all these problems and issues... small issues, big issues, unimportant issues, whatever... but they have issues. The bottomline is: We all have issues!!! We are not perfect, we all say things we shouldn't, we all do things we shouldn't and we all make mistakes... several of them, to be precise. We all fight, we all get irritated or cheesed off at each other and we all sometimes want to just up and leave. While it always does seem like the 'grass is greener on the other side', just remember - when you get to the other side, you just may wanna come back...

Don't compare your talents with others... (by following "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" theory...) Just do your best. Forever wondering or second guessing... if that's your plan, you can spend the rest of your life looking for something better. And then you'll never be happy. So even if you play with the idea of switching teams, remember that as soon as you do, the other team will start winning again. Look, grass is grass. Even if the grass is greener on the other side, who's to say that green grass is what you/we even wanted? Most folks don't even like lawn and yard work...!

It's important in life to reach out, to strive for greater achievements, to go for that 'greener grass' that is on the other side of the fence.

But one must also be careful... Sometimes you can reach too far!

But when you find yourself over-extended and you're stuck in a situation that you can't get out of, there is one thing you should always remember...

Not everyone who shows up... Is there to help you... !!!!

So, what is the 'moral of the story'... ???

- "If you go for where the grass is greener, you might get screwed"... !!! *wink, wink!*

Now, its time for some updates... regarding my blog. It's raining awards... this month... !!! The indefatigable blogger, Shilpa has very generously presented me with the 'Humane Award' on August 26th. 'Humane' as being characterized by kindness, mercy, or compassion; marked by an emphasis on humanistic values and concerns. Wow!!! While the Indian Pundit has honoured me with the 'One lovely blog award' on August 29th. *I'm beaming!*

I may have shared this before... but so what, let me do it again. My blog's current IndiRank is 80 (up from 77). IndiRank is a system that the folks at IndiBlogger have built to rank the blogs in the IndiBlogger network. It's like runs in a game of cricket - the higher the score, the higher ranking you (i.e., your blog) have. Blogs are ranked on a scale of 1-100. So, 80 is a pretty good score... what say?!! Also... in a short span of time... my blog has received 10,525 page views... with visitors from across the globe... scattered across 76 nations, to be precise! And... this is my 95th post! *a very satisfied smile!*

Photographs:

Two pictures to 'prove' that 'the grass is not always greener on the other side'. Its all in good humour, of course! I assure you.