Find A New Religion

This is a mini podcast is about beliefs, not formal religion. Find out if your beliefs are working for you or not by listening.

Grasshopper Notes are the writings from America's Best Known Hypnotherapist John Morgan. His podcasts contain his most responded to essays and blog posts from the past two decades. 

Find the written versions of these podcasts on John's podcasting site: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1628038

"The Grasshopper" is the part of you that whispers pearls of wisdom that  seem to pop into your mind from out of the blue. John's essays and blog posts are his interpretations of these "Nips of Nectar." Others have labeled his writings as timeless wisdom. 

Most of the John's writings revolve around self improvement and self help. They address topics like:

• Mindfulness
• Peace of mind
• Creativity
• How to stay in the present moment
• Spirituality
• Behavior improvement

And stories that transform you to a wider sense of awareness that presents more options. And isn't that what we all want, more options? 

John uploads these podcasts on a regular basis. So check back often to hear these podcasts heard around the world. Who wants to be the next person to change? 

Make sure to order a copy of John's new book: WISDOM OF THE GRASSHOPPER – 21 Days to Creativity. These mini-meditations take you inside where all your creative resources live. And you'll come out not only refreshed but recommitted to creating your future. 

It's only $16.95 and available at BLURB.COM at the link below. https://www.blurb.com/b/10239673-wisd...

Also, download John's FREE book INTER RUPTION: The Magic Key To Lasting Change. It's available at John's website  https://GrasshopperNotes.com

Transcript

Find A New Religion

I don’t know where I heard the expression first, but the wisdom of it has remained with me – “If your religion is not working for you, find a new religion.”

Religion in this context is a pretty broad based term. It can mean any belief system. For example, if you live anywhere in the southern United States, NASCAR is a religion. High School football in Texas is a religion. Eating cheesesteaks in Philadelphia is a religion. Giving directions on the back of your hand in Michigan is a religion.

Ways of thinking and behaving have become religions. What we often fail to notice is the lackluster performance of this way of thinking or doing. It’s much like hiring a friend or family member to work for your company. You'll bend over backwards to ignore their shortcomings in spite of overwhelming evidence.

What does it take to get you to notice a belief that you own isn’t working? Sadly, for some, it takes a lifetime.

The difficulty as I see it is we have associated who we are with what we believe. That’s like saying a football stadium is made up of fans. The stadium is a structure. It doesn’t care who or what occupies the seats. A belief is a structure and any facts can fill it. The attendees can be there for anything from a soccer game to an “Up with People” concert. The structure doesn’t care.

We have somehow associated our self worth with the content of our structured belief. I can’t tell you how many times I have heard that the reason something didn’t happen was because the person believed they didn’t pray hard enough. I wonder if they ever considered that the answer to the prayer was “No”? Logical human beings routinely suspend logic when their beliefs are't working.

It’s not so amusing to watch politicians of all stripes defend their ideology in spite of an avalanche of evidence to the contrary. It seems to be more important to defend the belief than to fix the problem.

Are you sticking with something that isn’t working? The clues will be in your defense. What are you defending that isn’t working? Are you arguing for your limitations?

Take a look at what you are saying and imagine that a person whom you have little respect for is saying the exact same things. How believable is it now?

Taking a little liberty with a teaching from Socrates, “An unexamined belief is not worth living.”

Maybe it’s time to get a little religion and start believing that your beliefs aren’t working.

Do you have the intestinal fortitude to divorce your beliefs from your self worth and judge them on their own merits? Your answer to that question will either have you praying harder or auditioning a new clergyman.

All the best,

John