We often look at other paths and wonder if they’re better than where we stand today. Private practice, overseas opportunities, or even exploring a field outside medicine — all of these can look like “greener pastures” when our current situation feels dry and exhausting. But here’s the truth: the grass is rarely greener on the other side. It only looks greener because we are standing at a distance. Once we step closer, we see that it has its own weeds, its own dry patches, and its own struggles.

The illusion of “better elsewhere”

It’s easy to think going for private practice will bring instant happiness, moving overseas will guarantee a better lifestyle, or switching to a different industry will be a perfect escape. Yet every path comes with its own challenges — workload, expectations, uncertainties, and sacrifices. What seems easier from afar is often just different, not necessarily better. The allure of “greener pastures” can be powerful. But before uprooting everything, it’s worth asking: Have I truly nurtured the soil I’m standing on?

Where the grass truly becomes greener?

The reality is this: the grass is always greener where you choose to water it. When you invest in your current situation — learning, adapting, building relationships, and making the best out of what you have — that’s when things start to bloom. If you take the time to grow despite in a difficult situation, the opportunities for progress will eventually reveal themselves. Developing resilience and adaptability, which will serve you well no matter where you go later.

Watering your own grass and your own growth

If you water your own grass with effort, patience, and consistency, you may find that your patch of ground — no matter how ordinary it seemed at first — becomes greener than you ever imagined. Remember to invest in self-growth. Take courses, seek mentorship, initiate projects that excite you.

Before looking at the other side and wishing for what it seems to offer, ask yourself: Am I watering the grass where I am now?

The truth is, private practice, overseas jobs, or even alternative careers might or might not suit you — but they all come with their own struggles. What matters most is how much effort you put into the ground beneath your feet. Because in the end, the grass is not greener on the other side. It’s greener where you choose to water it.