Living By Axiom

You may be living by someone else's axiom is the theme of this week's Grasshopper Notes essay from John Morgan for the week of December 9th.

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. 

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Transcript

Living By Axiom

I looked up many definitions of the word “axiom” and came away with two descriptive words: “fitting” and “worthy.”

None of the reference materials defined axiom as true. But some folks live their life as though their guiding star motto or axiom is the unvarnished, unabashed, truth.

It got me to thinking about one particular axiom: “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.” It’s been around since the 15th Century, so it has staying power. It means what’s currently available to you is worth more than what’s possibly available in the future.

I thought about holding a bird in my hand, and one of the outcomes I envisioned was a handful of bird shit. That didn’t seem worthy to me especially when compared to something that was hazily on the horizon that had more promise and less mess.

Reminds me of a story . . . a family member had been out of work, through no fault of his own, and applied for many jobs in his field. He also had several interviews, whether by phone, Zoom®, Teams®, or in-person. Most of them went well but didn’t bear any fruit.

Finally, after several months of this routine, he was offered a position. It was a lateral move from the job he left and he turned it down. It was the proverbial “bird in the hand.” And that’s what most of his friends and relatives thought. “It wasn’t a fit” was his answer to their queries, but his underlying belief was he was worth more than the axiom.

Like a Hallmark® Christmas movie, this has a happy ending. About 3 weeks later, he was offered another position that paid lots more money and it felt a lot more fitting and worthy.

So what’s the moral to the story? 

There’s more than one axiom. So, don’t get boxed in by one, even though it’s a favorite of others. 

This post is a long way of saying “trust your gut.” It a barometer that will get you closer to the truth than any axiom that’s “long in the tooth.”

All the best,

John