We have a habit of looking across the fence. We see a marriage, a career, or a life that looks effortlessly green and vibrant. We call it "the grass is greener," and in the age of social media, that green is filtered to look even brighter.

But distance is a master of disguise. From a distance, you see the color; up close, you see the condition.

When you finally jump the fence to the "other side," you often find what the sheep left behind. You find the "brown stuff"—the mess, the droppings, and the reality that every beautiful field requires maintenance and has its own set of problems.

The grass isn't actually greener on the other side; it’s greenest where you water it. Comparing your "behind-the-scenes" with someone else's "highlight reel" only leads to depression and a gossipy spirit. Your life is too precious to spend it being a slave to someone else's story.

Envy is the trap of counting another person’s blessings instead of your own.