<p class="bodytext">As a kid, I had taken the literal meaning of the proverb grass is greener on the other side, by often peeping into my neighbour’s compound and admiring their manicured lawn. When my mother caught me doing this, I innocently replied, ‘We need to hire a gardener to make our grass as green as theirs.’ She smiled at my childish banter. But life had a way of showing me the true meaning of this adage when a chance meeting with a former colleague paved the way to friendship. As weeks rolled by, the envious side of my new friend surfaced: “Oh, you are so lucky to have a good husband and understanding people around you. Look at my life; it didn’t turn out the way I planned.” Our conversation, or rather her tirade of self-pity, intensified over time. From a friend, I soon turned into a punching bag and an agony aunt to her. I repeatedly pleaded with her to let go of her perception bias. But my requests fell on deaf ears as she continued to begrudge others instead of being grateful for life’s little blessings. </p>.A universal prayer for collective well-being.<p class="bodytext">Listening to her long list of complaints would drain my mental energy, and soon enough her pessimism started rubbing off on me. Yes! Just like positive people in our lives can rouse the best traits in us, interacting with negative people can wear down our emotions, leading to frustration, anger, and sadness. Thankfully, my astute husband noticed the changes in me and gently admonished, “Despite your best intentions, you are unable to change your friend’s mindset; instead, you are letting her turbulent thoughts rob your peace of mind.” That moment, I realised that I had failed miserably in setting boundaries and stepping back from this one-sided friendship. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Constant comparison, regret over past choices, and displeasure with minor setbacks can be glaring signs of the ‘grass is always greener on the other side’ mindset. This is not an irreversible syndrome. Daily practice of gratitude, mindfulness and setting realistic goals is known to be beneficial. Unfortunately, my (former) friend remained obstinate in her quest for a perfect life or, more so, her illusion of perfection. Though I severed ties with her in the nick of time, this relationship taught me to value my mind as a sacred space and be cautious about who I spend my time with – this life lesson is beautifully summarised in Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, ‘I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet.’</p>
<p class="bodytext">As a kid, I had taken the literal meaning of the proverb grass is greener on the other side, by often peeping into my neighbour’s compound and admiring their manicured lawn. When my mother caught me doing this, I innocently replied, ‘We need to hire a gardener to make our grass as green as theirs.’ She smiled at my childish banter. But life had a way of showing me the true meaning of this adage when a chance meeting with a former colleague paved the way to friendship. As weeks rolled by, the envious side of my new friend surfaced: “Oh, you are so lucky to have a good husband and understanding people around you. Look at my life; it didn’t turn out the way I planned.” Our conversation, or rather her tirade of self-pity, intensified over time. From a friend, I soon turned into a punching bag and an agony aunt to her. I repeatedly pleaded with her to let go of her perception bias. But my requests fell on deaf ears as she continued to begrudge others instead of being grateful for life’s little blessings. </p>.A universal prayer for collective well-being.<p class="bodytext">Listening to her long list of complaints would drain my mental energy, and soon enough her pessimism started rubbing off on me. Yes! Just like positive people in our lives can rouse the best traits in us, interacting with negative people can wear down our emotions, leading to frustration, anger, and sadness. Thankfully, my astute husband noticed the changes in me and gently admonished, “Despite your best intentions, you are unable to change your friend’s mindset; instead, you are letting her turbulent thoughts rob your peace of mind.” That moment, I realised that I had failed miserably in setting boundaries and stepping back from this one-sided friendship. </p>.<p class="bodytext">Constant comparison, regret over past choices, and displeasure with minor setbacks can be glaring signs of the ‘grass is always greener on the other side’ mindset. This is not an irreversible syndrome. Daily practice of gratitude, mindfulness and setting realistic goals is known to be beneficial. Unfortunately, my (former) friend remained obstinate in her quest for a perfect life or, more so, her illusion of perfection. Though I severed ties with her in the nick of time, this relationship taught me to value my mind as a sacred space and be cautious about who I spend my time with – this life lesson is beautifully summarised in Mahatma Gandhi’s quote, ‘I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet.’</p>
