Get Back To Your Lawn

The grass is greener on the other side. We’re all very familiar with that saying.

But the meaning of that saying has changed.

It used to mean this….

You stood in your front garden, looked at your neighbours’ lawn on the left and thought: wow, look how nice their lawn is. Then you looked at your other neighbours’ lawn on the right and thought: oh my, theirs is very nice too. Then you looked at your lawn and you’d think: why does my lawn not look as nice as theirs?

And then you’d feel sad because apparently your neighbours had it better.

And now, it looks more like this…

You stand in your front garden, look at the lawns on your left and right, feel crap about your life because your neighbours have it better, then you go back inside, get on social media and find yourself looking at hundreds more of these luscious lawns.

And you may even be addicted to looking at them. That means those lawns are there — not just in the morning when you leave home and then later when you get back from work — but all day long.

Can you see the difference — the change that’s happened due to social media?

Can you see how this is quite a serious problem?

Now…there’s something else interesting going on here: Pre social media we used to think other people’s lawns were greener only because we perceived them to be so. Not because they literally were.

But today, we’re spending so much time wandering about other people’s lawns, that we actually are neglecting ours. Think about that — your lawn really does start to not look as great as others! It’s not just in your mind anymore.

You see all that time that is spent distracting ourselves with other people’s lives is actually very valuable time that can be used to better ourselves. To tend to our lawns. Instead of sitting and staring at others’.

So maybe next time you find yourself reaching for your phone because you want to show the world how proud you are of your breakfast bagel, then take a moment to think about what you’re doing. To consider how the constant interaction on social media affects you.

And maybe don’t take that picture. Maybe just put the phone back down. And give your lawn the attention it deserves.

Because — of course — your lawn is you.