There Is An Upside To The Down Side

Experiencing a dark night of the soul? It may be the passageway to  being more light on your feet.

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

There’s An Upside To The Dark Side
 

Sometimes, it has to get really dark before we can see the light. That darkness? It’s not a dead end. It’s a doorway—to who we truly are.

From the moment we’re born—maybe even before—we’re conditioned. We're given a name, a personality, a story. We build a whole identity around those pieces, helped along by parents, teachers, peers, even ads. Before long, we’re living out a version of ourselves that isn’t actually us—it’s just who we’ve been taught to be.

That identity? It’s a façade. And over time, cracks start to show. Life gets harder. We struggle—not just with others, but within ourselves. Something inside is shifting, and it’s scary. We try to patch it up: therapy, drugs, affairs, distractions. But nothing sticks. We sink deeper into the dark.

What we don’t realize is—we’re not in the dark because the light disappeared. We’re in the dark because we’ve been chasing a version of ourselves that was never real. This "false self"— sometimes referred to as the ego—doesn’t like light. It hides from it. Slowly, subtly, it takes over, until one day, everything feels heavy. And hopeless.

This phase—often called the "dark night of the soul"—can last for years. It’s suffering. But it’s also a turning point. Because eventually, even a small crack lets the light through. And that light is awareness.

Awareness shines on all our conditioning, all the illusions. It exposes the ego for what it is—a pretender. And the more we notice it, the more we realize: We’re not that voice in our head. That running commentary, those knee-jerk reactions? That’s not you. That’s just programming.

The real YOU? is the one watching it.

And that shift—from being lost in thought to observing your thoughts—that’s when the light gets in. That’s when the unconditioned you starts to wake up.

You don’t have to wait for life to fall apart. You can start now. Just notice. Notice your thoughts. Don’t fight them—just observe them unemotionally. The more you watch, the less power they have. And the more light you let in.

Eventually, life gets easier. You stop reacting and start responding. You stop resisting and start flowing. You begin to dance—with the light, with life, with who you really are.

All the best,
 John