As an avid outdoorsman, I love robust flower blooms and lush green grass. Relative to outdoors, nothing can be more aesthetically pleasing than the sight of azaleas and roses brushed against a well-manicured lawn. Oftentimes, when I am traveling beautiful rural roads, I observe someone’s front yard from a distance and it appears to be emerald green. Upon a closer look, however, I soon discover that the lawn is actually quite brown. Now, either my vision has started to rapidly deteriorate or I simply see mirages on a frequent basis. Like me, many people see mirages on a daily basis, especially men that society has deemed as celebrities. I was heartbroken to hear the relatively recent and alleged news about former basketball point guard Eric Snow leaving his wife DeShawn, one of the former stars of the Real Housewives of Atlanta (RHOA), for a former Michigan State classmate that he reportedly impregnated. In the few times that I did watch the RHOA, DeShawn was always a breath of fresh air and a light in the midst of arrogance, contention and messiness. Now, like so many women, she has become a “left behind” who has to deal with emotional and financial distress and the unexpected return to the single life. Unfortunately, Eric Snow is not the only celebrity male that has reportedly left his spouse for another woman. Swizz Beatz, Tiki Barber, Dwayne Wade and Tiger Woods are some of the prominent names among many who have become sickened with the Greener Grass Syndrome- that is, a disorder in which one breaks his marriage covenant and jumps the fence to seek the greener grass (i.e., the lust interest who appears to be everything that you need). As with most sicknesses and disorders, viable and concrete cures are good, but preventive measures are great. With the Greener Grass Syndrome, there are four disciplined ways to avoid its crippling effects. Read them and give them to your man:
Be content with your spouse.
Contentment is an internal satisfaction that does not demand a change in external circumstances. In almost all cases, the cheating spouse states that he or she is not satisfied, which is the diametric opposite of contentment. Married couples that have contentment in their heart see the shortcomings in each other, but they remain satisfied because they are filled with internal joy and longsuffering – two virtues that appear to have waned away.
Be committed to your spouse.
Commitment – a word that scares many away. There are a plethora of married couples across the world, where one or both of the spouses still want to be independent and single and come home to mingle and sleep with their “roommate” or “friend.” The daily commitment to actively love your spouse is an absolute necessity.
Be accountable.
It is imperative to have a circle of mature friends who will hold you accountable before the Greener Grass Syndrome takes over your mind. Accountability requires a lot of honesty between you and your friends. When you begin to talk about the “handsome and fine” woman that you met during a business function, you need real friends who will quickly tell you that you should be focusing on your spouse.
Think about the repercussions of your actions.
The truth is that those men who become sickened with the Greener Grass Syndrome will inevitably cause significant hurt and pain in their spouse and children’s lives. Even if you were to experience the lush greenery, which infrequently happens, is it worth it? The thought of beautiful and innocent children becoming “left behinds” is very tragic.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthony Jerrod Bestselling Author, Speaker, Relationship Coach and Public Policy Expert “Creating A Sustainable World, One Day At A Time” http://www.anthonyjerrod.com
