"If you think the grass looks greener..."

"...On the other side, water your own lawn." I haven't been able to get this particular message out of my head since hearing it at my cousin's wedding in Wales at the end of August. It's so simple, yet the most profound of life's epiphanies usually are, and can make you wonder why you didn't recognize them as valid truths before.

Here's a little secret about me that will shock many of my dearest writing buds, whom I cheer on and congratulate at each triumph. The bitter truth is: I'm incredibly jealous of you. When you sell thousands of books each month, gain a legion of blog, Twitter and Facebook followers, and score tons of excellent reviews, there's just a little part of me that thinks, "Dammit! Why the hell can't I do what she / he can? No fair!" This doesn't mean I'm not genuinely happy for you - of course, I am. We wouldn't still be friends if I wasn't truly supportive of your hard-won efforts. Still, I'd be lying if I said those heartfelt congratulations aren't tinged with a bit of envy.

It's disappointing / comforting to know that my green-eyed monster is the same one that dwells inside others. Well, my monster might be a much smaller version of others out there. Hearing the words, "If you think the grass looks greener on the other side, water your own lawn," came on the heels of the recent "Locke bought reviews" and Ellory sock-puppetry scandals. No, I won't share my opinion or link to those topics here because quite enough has been said on the internet. Will say both revelations left me amazed at how far people will go to boost themselves, but the news also helped me gain perspective on the insecurities dwelling inside me, and apparently even best-selling authors.

Time for all us to water our own lawns and stop worrying about what others are doing with theirs.