Grass Isn’t Always Greener

People are plagued by the thought that life in the future will be better. They think that if they reach the next step of life, they will be happier, they will be more successful, they will be in better shape, they will feel more loved, or any other scenario they can come up with to convince themselves that the future will be better than the present. This is flawed thinking because the future is unpredictable. You cannot predict how much happier you will be or how much more success you will have for instance. By living in a constant state of “want” for the future, you are choosing to sacrifice making the most of the present situation. The grass is not always greener when you change stages in your life. Sometimes what you have is right for you, you just need to learn to appreciate it more. Live in the present without a constant focus on the future.

Something “far off” is no guarantee to make you happier than you are now. If you are in high school and think that college will make you exponentially happier, when you get to college you will probably find something else in the future to attach your mind to. Learn to appreciate the stage of life you are currently in and make the most of it while you are there.

James Clear put this idea into a perfect perspective recently. He said that people think “moving to a new place or getting a different job or meeting someone new will change how they feel. But happiness will always be withheld if you believe it is somewhere else. The secret is to find happiness in the people and places that are close to you. See the beauty in the things that are nearby."

The key is thinking with a “nearby” and present perspective on your life but also thinking with a long-term time horizon. When you focus on the now you are able to improve on the now. When you focus on the now AND keep the long-term horizon in mind you can find belief, acceptance, and happiness in the fact that what you are currently encountering will lead to the life you are looking to build in the future. Instead of only dreaming of the future and the unknown possibilities, you can marry the now and the future. This marriage in your life causes happiness to be unlocked. The happiness of your current life will only remain withheld and locked away if you only focus on the future.

Instead of hoping for the grass to be greener in the future, you can instead choose to start watering the grass in your current life so it continues to blossom and grow into what you desire. The grass isn’t always greener when you hope and think about the future, but you can have an active difference in creating this future when you also consider the present moments you are currently experiencing. The grass will not be greener unless you make it greener yourself.