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Help me live & breathe this quote 🙏

19 replies

Tabbytiger122 · 04/09/2026 13:38

I read a quote today that hit me hard
"Be so busy watering your own grass that you don't notice who's is greener"
I love it & want to be able to live it but I'm constantly looking at what people are doing, where they're going etc without focusing on how to improve my life...

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Compactwallet · 04/09/2026 13:41

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Tabbytiger122 · 04/09/2026 14:35

It's ok but I seem to be consumed with comparing it to others if that makes sense & I want to stop & fully focus on my own life!

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Compactwallet · 04/09/2026 14:36

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Mischance · 04/09/2026 14:40

Social media causes people to compare their lives with those of others too much.
There are people out there who post when they fart - it is mad. I do not want pics of every detail of their lives. Just go away!

And mostly they only post the gloss; not what really goes on behind the scenes. Sadly there are vulnerable people who actually believe the surface jollity and compare their lives unfavourably.

A neighbour posts endlessly with pics of her children doing wonderful "good parenting" things - it is so boring. I know that they can be little buggers at times!!!

Who are these posts for?

Clasty · 04/09/2026 14:44

What would you like your life to be? What/who matters to you?

Have you got a five year plan? What/who are you grateful for? It can be good to sit down sometimes and write this out. Pay attention to yourself and notice what you like. It might not be what you think.

I really like a log fire. I like being under trees, too. I like the wind in my face. I like blankets. I like my friends coming round and going for walks with them, or going to the pub. I like my family to be dead close and to see them often. I like my job when it's hard and not when it's easy, because I like puzzles and unsolved problems. I like getting up whenever I want, so I've arranged my life around that. I've organised my whole life around the things I care about, specifically and idiosyncratically, and that means I've "given up" some things other people want in order to get the things I actually want. It's really good to know what you properly want yourself, over what some generic person "should" want.

You probably like completely different things to me, so comparing yourself to me is pointless. What do YOU want.

Tabbytiger122 · 04/09/2026 14:59

Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate it

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Compactwallet · 04/09/2026 15:04

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Tabbytiger122 · 04/09/2026 15:10

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Apologies I was doing the school pick up, I will reply in depth later when I have more time. I only wanted to say I was grateful to those who took the time to reply .

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iloveanearlynight · 04/09/2026 15:37

*Whose. Who's is short for who is or who was.

frozendaisy · 04/09/2026 15:38

A lot of what I wanted when our children were school run pick up age was for either me or their dad/grandma/family to be there as they came out of school to say “Hi had a good day?” and then really listen to their answer, I have had, as have most parents, a very in depth conversation most school pick ups about absolutely nothing. Or nothing I didn’t know. But they were experiencing or learning for the first time, so I was present, I listened, there wasn’t anywhere or anyone I would rather have been either or listening to.

Just be present at the time, where you are, who you are with, what you are doing.

One day we were walking home from school, eldest announces he does not want to hold hands he is a big boy now (at 6 and a half), ok no problem, almost moments after a biggish truck drives past, little hand shoots up, we held hands until our smaller safe road. But it was coming, the never holding hands again. And it happened one day was the last day.

These moments you have in time, it’s a very fleeting moment of time, in the grand scheme of things, what do other people have that’s better? What do you think is better?

Is anything really better than doing the school run and being the constant in your baby’s life? Or being the hand they reach for?

We are all ants floating around on this tiny rock in the middle of space with unimaginable distance between us and anything remotely complex to feel love or pain or knowledge. All of us are already amazing. Lucky even to exist and know it.

This message is hitting some invisible communications wave and you get to read it. That’s just insane, very clever and weird, but fun, and weird.

You already have so much grass, you don’t need to worry about how much grass or how high anyone else’s is.

Carouseloflife · 04/09/2026 15:45

The grass that looks greener may be artificial

Echobelly · 04/09/2026 15:49

Remember you can never really compare yourself to someone else, there's just so many variables and unknowns between people that it's pointless.

Peakyblinder18 · 04/09/2026 22:12

Focus on yourself and the positive things you do

TwinklyTits · 04/09/2026 22:25

“Comparison is the thief of joy”
it’s a simple but powerful saying that’s helped me through some difficult times.

Lavenderandsunflowerfields · 04/09/2026 22:41

Even if you had what others have doesn't mean it would work for you. The grass isn't always greener on the other side.
One of my neighbours, on the surface looks like she has it all. I wouldn't want to be her though. She has different values to me. Plus her dh and her are always arguing. Daily. You never know what people's lives are like behind closed doors.
Just live your life.

seaskysand · 04/09/2026 23:19

@Clastyand @frozendaisy you’ve both nailed it beautiful and true FlowersFlowers

Dontlletmedownbruce · 04/09/2026 23:52

I feel like I wasted a lot of energy especially in my younger years obsessing over something I can't have. The desired thing changed a lot so even at the time I knew it was illogical. Something changed in me and I never think that way anymore. To be fair I have quite a good life now so maybe I have less to be envious of. I have a lot going for me and always did, but having a sister who is prettier, more successful and more popular was a hard one to deal with. I've struggled with my weight all my life and I sometimes have to give myself a mental kick in the arse because my knee jerk reaction to anyone with a good figure is to think they must be blissfully happy all the time. I spent so many years thinking how lucky they are and how amazing every minute of their life must be walking around like that that i developed a ridiculous inability to see them as normal people with normal struggles. Sometimes they might have seen something enviable in my life. I stop that silly thought now and have become much more grateful for my lot in life.

Mmhmmn · 04/09/2026 23:56

Come off fb and Instagram if you’re on those. They're the root of evil 🤷🏻‍♀️

Mmhmmn · 04/09/2026 23:58

Carouseloflife · 04/09/2026 15:45

The grass that looks greener may be artificial

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