The Greenest Grass

Consider this: “The grass is always greener on the other side.” People are rarely satisfied with what they have, always believing that others always have it better, have it easier. However, that’s not the case for me. From where I’m standing, the grass around me is definitely the greenest.

My name is Rebecca Jiang and I’ve danced with Shen Yun for more than twelve years. Before that, I attended Fei Tian Academy of the Arts and Fei Tian College, and was fortunate enough to tour with Shen Yun as part of my school practicum. 

In my earliest memories of Fei Tian, everybody was friendly and hospitable. There wasn’t even really a process of “getting to know everyone” because it felt as though I’d known them for ages already. To my teenage self, it felt like a giant family. Dance training is tough and grueling, so I won’t lie and say that I was happy 24/7. Especially since I grew up in Australia, it took me a while to get used to the intense training required for classical Chinese dance. But I can gladly say that I was able to.

Here’s another saying: “嚴師出高徒” which roughly translates to “Only strict teaching can produce outstanding students.” These wise words are etched into my heart. I’m very thankful to my teachers who were strict, because that meant they really wanted me to improve and really believed in me. If all they offered were flowery compliments and praise, I never would have made it to where I am today. I learned to bear hardships and to accept constructive criticism. I learned a whole new set of skills. I learned how to be a person with good moral character and judgement.

When I was tired or feeling down, my strictest teacher would always cheer me up and guide me. After a long day of hard work, another teacher would always give us snacks and refreshments. On break days, they would bring us to cool places so we could have fun and relax. When I wasn’t feeling well, my instructor would feed me like a parent, and brought me to the medical centre when my body had some physical issues. As an adult now, I see that their care and love back then is exactly what I would now expect from a parent towards their child. Looking back, I never felt any lack of parental love in my teens because those teachers were there for me every step of the way.

I strongly believe that humility is a critical aspect of being a good person. Being humble goes hand in hand with being grateful. In turn, gratitude plays an important role in the path of becoming righteous. To be righteous, one must understand gratitude: 

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.”

— Epicurus

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. We must learn the lessons taught by the mistakes of others. We must recognize our own shortcomings.” 

— John F. Kennedy

If I were to compare my life with the lives of some of my peers, I can see how discontent or resentment could cause me to blame my teachers for emotional damage. But when I compare my life now with my own life before I came to Fei Tian, I feel gratitude for all of the opportunities I received and for the love and care that have shaped who I am today. I believe that any discontent or resentment that people feel is a direct result of their being unable to face their problems. People will always face setbacks and hardships, it’s simply a part of life. It’s the way you approach them that determines your happiness. When I look at the world with gratitude and humility, I see that the grass is greenest right where I stand.