Why I Cut My Lawn Twice a Week, and You Should Too.
How to connect with the inner self.
My mom bought our first house when I was 15. Since the very first day, I volunteered to take care of the grass. It was an inner calling. I felt somehow the age of 15 — this is what I want to do, and it will be good for me.
I would seed, water, mow, level, detach, de-weed, and protect my lawn tediously. Year after year, I would wake up at 6 am to soak it before the sun gets too hot. I instructed others on what to do if I was away from home. My grass obsession taught me many “life” lessons:
- Patience is key. From the point you put the seed in the soil till the moment it becomes grass, a few weeks can pass. It may seem like all the effort you are doing is for nothing; however, patient individuals who stick with it receive a reward.
- Success and consistency are interdependent. No consistency, no success. Anyone who has a nice green lawn knows it. Do nothing for a month, and you will lose all the proceeds of hard work.
- Discipline. This is a biggie. As a teenager, I wanted to sleep in. I would yet wake up, sprinkle the grass, and rush to bed again. I learned the quality of my lawn depends on my ability to discipline myself.
- Appreciation. There was no better feeling than having a picnic with classmates on my green, juicy lawn. Even though my teenage friends thought I am mad to do gardening.
- Recognition. My mother, sister, family and friends would compliment my garden. They made me feel proud of my achievement and inspire me to investigate different techniques and automate my process.
I live by the rule — Happy people don’t have dead grass.
Few decades passed since, but I still conduct my life by the “grass rules”. And it pays off. I directly relate a lot of achievement in my career to learning “the grass” lessons fresh in life. Happy people cannot have dead grass. For years my inner garden is a direct representation of how I am feeling and doing in life.
When I start anything unfamiliar, no matter if it is a job, relationship or hobby, I imagine a 15-year-old self planting the seeds for the first time. It works. I am patient, consistent, discipline myself, appreciate my results, and get inspired by recognition.
Conclusions
My inner self is a grass grower. I know I can accomplish a lot by just following the five lessons I learned early in life. If you have a lawn and it is lifeless, go out there and reseed it, water it, take care of it. Make it a habit. You will not only have the best yard in the area but as well learn important life lessons — what it takes to achieve success.
Your lessons may be very distinct from mine, and that’s ok. Everyone is special. Everyone gets there by a unique route. Just try to understand yourself and find your inner character in the process.
Ludi F
