A Christmas Message In August

Seems the holidays are advertised earlier and earlier each year. So here are some yuletide language tips that are useful year-round.

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

A Christmas Message In August

Seems the stores start putting out holiday decorations earlier and earlier each year. I'm starting to see Halloween costumes already and it's mid August. So, I'm jumping on the bandwagon and will start my Christmas messaging now.

Did you ever notice how words or phrases can have different meanings depending on how they’re said?

I’ve been musing about some words we hear at Christmas time and the different meanings they connote depending on their usage and delivery.

Let’s try a few on for size:

Good

Bad

Naughty

Nice

“Good” and “Bad” are childhood words we were weaned on. “Good girl,” Bad boy” or vice-versa. These words are familiar to most of us.

But you can imagine how they change meaning depending on the situation. Let’s pretend that you have given your boss three pieces of unwelcome business news, and then moments later you hit him with a fourth. His response is “Oh, good.”

How about “naughty” and “nice”?

“Naughty” and “Nice” have different meanings in the homeroom than they do on the honeymoon. No one needs to spell that out for you.

So what’s the larger point? Watch your language! Watch your delivery!

"Good" and "bad" are words that have lots of emotional baggage attached to them and you would be better served using synonyms you learned in high school as substitutes – Productive/counterproductive and useful/not useful come to mind.

Dr. Dave Dobson taught us that “good” and “bad” are words we were toilet trained with, and even though we use and perceive those words in different contexts as adults, there's still a part of us that harkens back to that “trying” period when we hear those words.

Dave called it a “trans-derivational search.” Our mind is looking for all the references we have for any word when we hear it. It happens at mind numbing speed but all contexts are considered. The “adult” words we learned later in life have less references attached and are more precisely tied to a meaning.

Roll these two these two sentences around in your mind:

“That’s ‘good’ information.”

“That’s ‘productive’ information.”

On the surface they may appear as the same thing; below decks, there’s a lot more going on. And the one with more references is more ambiguous in it’s meaning than the other.

And regarding delivery, remember this: Sarcasm is like a spice. It can accent a meal or ruin it. If sarcasm is your “go to” delivery, you'll wear out your welcome quicker than the brownie plate disappears on the set of “The Biggest Loser.”

Here’s a yuletide tip in August: Put away your sarcasm today and for the holidays and you won’t have to heat your house with coal.

Check your language twice. We can all be more precise and less biting with our words; it just takes a bit of noticing. And remember, even in August, Santa is watching.

All the best,

John