I'm 'that' neighbor

When I decided to become an adult I thought it would be good to have a home with a lawn. I had visions of basking in the summer sun in my yard, barbecues--you know--yard things. My first yard I neglected, ignored and avoided. Needless to say, it wasn't pretty. But it was hidden. It was only a backyard, fenced, where no one else could witness my lawn failure. Just the way I liked it.

Then I moved into a place with both a front and a back yard. And now I'm 'that' neighbor. The one with the lawn that looks like this...

I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I've watered and fertilized and called lawn companies. The only thing I haven't done...ripped it out and replaced it all. It doesn't help that my neighbor's lawn looks like this...

Yep. Every day I walk past the verdant green and think, "Why can't my lawn look like that?!"

I wish that I could say that this is the only thing I compare about myself with those around me. Have you ever paid attention to how often you compare yourself, your possessions, your family, everything, to others? It's like it's a constant compare-fest. I've even found myself comparing how often I compare!! And you know what? Theodore Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy" and he was right. When we compare we will either be better or worse--and usually worse. We will struggle to find true happiness and contentment--not because the fact is we have a brown lawn, but because we are comparing our lawn to those around us.

Try this small experiment: Pay attention to how often you compare over the next few days. When you catch yourself comparing, practice letting it go, laugh at it, be grateful, remind yourself it's not a competition, do whatever you need to get your thoughts to shift away from the comparisons, and just notice what happens.