10 Dirty and Divine Career Reinvention Lessons (#5)

10 Dirty and Divine Career Reinvention Lessons (#5) Lesson #5: The Grass Always (Looks) Greener on the Other Side We all know that saying the grass is greener on the other side. Turns out its true. Well, actually, its sort of true.  Let me explain Please take a look at the picture of the top of the post. Not so appealing, right? This photo was taken with the camera pointing down directly at the grass.  Inspecting the lawn from this perspective, you see the grass but you also see the dirt, the dead blades of grass, the cracks between the dirt, etc. and that all makes for a not-so-pretty photo. Now, lets look at a photo of my neighbors lawn. Hmm, sure looks healthier than mine, doesnt it? Now, the reason their lawn looks healthier is because this photo was taken from a different angle than the first photo of our lawn. Instead of standing in the middle of the grass, and being forced to focus on the dirt, this photo was shot from a distance.  Photographed with that birds-eye perspective, all you can see is a lush, healthy and green lawn. Of course, if I stood on my neighbors lawn and took a photo of their grass straight-on, Id capture a very different, and far less glamorous, image. Moral of the story? The grass isnt always greener on the other side. It just looks that way. Keep that in mind the next time you begin to feel that everyone elses job is so much more fun, interesting, rewarding, ____ (fill in the appropriate adjective) than your boring job. Yes, some jobs are better than others. But, there are no perfect jobs.  Every job, no matter how seemingly appealing, has its share of warts, worms and fungus. If you are interested in switching jobs or careers, you owe it to yourself to move past the glossy images in your mind and get to know the real dirt from someone who is living in that world.  Ask a lot of questions, scratch beneath the surface, and if possible, give that new career a test-drive before you make a move. The grass might really be greener on the other side.  Or maybe not. Be sure to determine what is reality and what is merely an illusion before you pull up roots and plant yourself in a supposedly greener pasture. Enjoy this? Here is the rest of the series: Lesson #1: Getting Started is the Hardest Part Lesson #2: Plant Yourself in the Right Soil Lesson #3: If Youre a Sun Loving Plant, Find a Sun Loving Garden Lesson #4: Dont Wait to Reach for the Watering Can Lesson #5: The Grass Always Looks Greener on the Other Side Lesson #6: Say Goodbye to the Old to Make Space for the New Lesson #7: Take Time to Smell the Roses Lesson #8: To Be the Best, Learn From the Best Lesson #9:    Expect the Unexpected Lesson #10:  To Everything There is a Season Related articles that you might also enjoy: 10 Dirty and Divine Career Reinvention Lessons (#10) 10 Dirty and Divine Career Reinvention Lessons (#7) 10 Dirty and Divine Career Reinvention Lessons (#3) 10 Dirty and Divine Career Reinvention Lessons (#2) 10 Dirty and Divine Career Reinvention Lessons (#1)