ponderingthoughts – Chiara Talluto

The famous saying… “The grass is always greener on the other side,” may have some meaning here, minus the chilled cocktail in the photo. In this particular case, it’s a beautiful, fluffy, white sandy beach and an ocean on the other side of the railings. I’ve often wondered why is it that we as humans often see other people’s material things, lifestyles, families, etc., better than our own?

The idea behind the “The grass is always greener” goes back to the poet Ovid (43 BC – 17 or 18 AD). In his “Art of Love,” he wrote,

“The harvest is always richer in another man’s field”.

A Latin proverb cited by Erasmus of Rotterdam was translated into English by Richard Taverner in 1545, as:

“The corne in an other mans ground semeth euer more fertyll and plentifull then doth oure own.” (The corn in another man’s ground seems ever more fertile and plentiful than our own does.)

I’ve realized that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side; it’s our perception and comparison of what someone else has to our own haves. Look at social media and all the marketing ads for diet supplements, clothing, technology, etc.

The Bible tells us not to compare because we will never be satisfied. It’s true. It’s a vicious cycle, and we’re only fooling ourselves.

It still hasn’t stopped people from writing about the “wantings”. I don’t have control of that, but I have control of my mind and what I think and do.

The Tenth Commandment clearly states not to covet what’s not yours. Yet, we do it anyway. I can’t take that beach and vast ocean and claim it’s mine, but then again, I’d love to own a piece of sand and ocean. Maybe in my next life.

From where I was sitting gazing at the world through the railings on a third-floor balcony, I’ll admit I felt enclosed, away, and detached. A spectator. The other side seemed open, exciting, and free. It was no wonder I had FOMO, fear of missing out. I like to call it the “behind it vs in front” syndrome.

Life is a little like that. Some days you’re behind an issue or circumstance that’s not so good and you’re scrambling to move forward. On other days, you’re able to get in front of a troubling situation and a resolution is available. In both cases, you, and you alone have a choice on how you experience the world.