On Wednesdays, I share posts, fables, songs, poems, quotations, TEDx Talks, cartoons, and books that have inspired and motivated me on my writing journey. I hope these posts will give writers, artists, and other creatives a mid-week boost.

Each Sunday, I receive an inspirational email from Reid Tracy, the CEO of Hay House. I found this past Sunday’s message a thought-provoking one:

I heard a great quote on my way to the Hay House office last week: “The grass is greener where you water it.”

Aaron Rodgers, the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers football team, said this when he was asked about the possibility that he may be changing teams and whether he felt the grass was greener on the other side of the fence.

I really love the idea that you don’t have to go anywhere to make things better; you just have to put effort into making things better where you are.

It’s so easy to look at a situation from the outside and think, “that person has it better,” and the only solution is to move in the same direction and try to achieve or get what they have. But the truth is, their success is likely a result of their actions, not simply because they are in a different place.

I know I’ve done that before while working here at Hay House. For example, I’ve attributed the success of other companies to better circumstances, not because they worked hard to nourish it.

And of course, I have also done this on a personal level (as I think many of us have). I’ve found myself feeling envious of someone else’s situation, not realizing they probably put in a lot of effort to get to where they are. Again, they took the time to water the grass.

So this week, I challenge you to think of some things in your life that you want to improve, and take at least one small step towards achieving your goals. Of course, it may take more than a week to see the result you want, but hopefully you will see some progress this week.