Is the grass greener?
The grass is green, but never greener on the other side of the fence. Perception is everything!
It could be good lighting where the sun hits or it could be a good 'patch' or it could be fake grass!
We seem to think that our life is the only one that has bumps in the road, the only one that has buckets of tears at the front door and the only one that no one else would get.
Not so, in fact, the opposite.
The issue is most of us were brought up to keep personal things personal so we say nothing to no one, some of us think others are simply 'luckier' than us and the rest of us believe we have done something to bring the 'problems' upon us, wrong again.
Life is full of ups, downs, shadow and light, joy and sadness.
It's how we perceive it and move on it, that counts.
This 'grass is greener' thinking has gone on for years and years, no doubt even cave men and women would sit in a cave longing to sit on the opposite side of the cave because it 'looked nicer'.
Now we sit on our phones and wish we could be on the flip side of that other persons' phone that seems to always look great, be in fabulous places, eating delicious food.
The reality is very different.
Let's look at that friend on instagram that looks so happy and has it all together..if you were to have a camera on her phone looking behind the scenes, away from the perfect double chin free shot she's taken...you would see her reality.
Perhaps her kids refused to go to school today, or they fought over breakfast food choices and the cereal is all over the floor.
Maybe, she or he had a fight with a loved one and the instagram photo was more for them to feel better about themselves for that moment.
We always put out to the world, what we want the world to see.
A perfectly manicured version of our life. 'Nothing wrong here, I'm all good, feeling great!'
In reality, not one of us has it ALL together, it's impossible, it's our life journey to have contrast and learn and grow.
If everything was truly all wonderful and magical and perfect, it would soon get boring.
Has anyone watched 'The Good Life' on Netflix? You must, it's brilliant and plays with that particular concept.
But this is about you understanding, you ARE doing fine.
The grass is not greener on the other side, as I said before, it could all be fake!
Your life and how you deal with it is what truly counts, don't worry about anyone else, they are doing the best they know how to. If we started to truly show people how we felt and were more open about our feelings and worries, the world would be a much kinder place.
We as a planet are going through change constantly, the amount of mental health issues are rising and hence why movements such as 'Are you ok? Day' have risen so quickly.
We need to be more compassionate, honest and open about our real lives and feelings.
By all means go on social media, but show people once in a while, your true day or an unfiltered shot. It won't hurt you, but it might help another person going through depression, a mum getting through post natal anxiety or a young adolescent being bullied for how they look or what they don't have.
That moment that they see another 'real' human, may just give them the hope they need to keep going, to survive today and another day.
And please remember how precious each of our lives are. The fact that you are here, that your parents got together and created you, is a one in a million chance, so YOU were meant to be here.
Now, how can we make each day better and each moment brighter? By seeing grass as simply grass and the brown patches are like the wrinkles on our faces - a map to our laughter, sadness and joy! What a beautiful map it is.
