When I was growing up in Phoenix, most people had Bermuda grass lawns. Anywhere else, Bermuda grass would be considered a weed, and we’d fight to get rid of it. It takes very little water and grows in just about any type of soil. That makes it an ideal groundcover for the intense summer heat.
In the winter, Bermuda grass goes dormant. It turns completely dry and crunchy and brown. For all purposes, it looks dead. Once spring comes, all it takes is a little water and the lifeless turf begins to turn green again.
Some people just accept the brown grass. But others want a green lawn year-round. There are two common solutions:
- They can over-seed the dormant lawn with ryegrass, which grows well in the winter and dies off just as the Bermuda begins to come back.
- They can paint their dormant lawn green.
Most homeowners choose the ryegrass. But shopping centers and commercial buildings often choose the paint.
As a kid, I remember going to the old Chris-Town Mall in Phoenix in winter. I saw the landscapers applying paint with their tanks and sprayers, and the lawns would magically transform into lush, green lawns as they walked along.
But when I stepped on the grass, I was always startled to hear it crunch under my feet.
There are two parts to a lawn: what’s above ground (the part we see), and what’s below ground (the part we don’t see).
What happens below ground determines what happens above ground. If we see wilted grass, we know the roots need more water. If the tips of the blades turn brown, it might mean they’re getting too much water. If the grass looks dead, it might just be dormant.
The key to a healthy lawn is to take care of what happens below ground.
That’s true with people as well. What happens below the surface determines what people see in our lives. We want people to think highly of us, seeing us as people of high character and integrity. We want to be seen as people who really care.
There are two ways to do that:
- We can do the things high-character, caring people do—hoping that people will think we actually have high character. (That’s like painting the lawn.)
- We can work on our character underground and in the dark, where nobody sees. We can become people of true character on the inside. Over time, that character will begin to grow and flourish on the outside.
We can’t fake character.
If we’re unhealthy on the inside, it’ll begin to show on the outside over time. Plus, faking it is a lot of work.
Real character is an inside job. If we develop it, people will see it on the outside.
It means living from the inside-out. When the inside is right, the outside will take care of itself.
Will Rogers said, “Live your life in such a way that you wouldn’t be afraid to sell your pet parrot to the town gossip.”
Want to simplify your life and strengthen your relationships? Don’t try to fake character.
Be real. It’s the place where world-class relationships begin.