Dare Not To Compare

Comparison can lead you down a rabbit Hole that's hard to escape from. This mini podcast provides the escape hatch.

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

Dare Not To Compare

“Comparing now to then can make you madder than a wet hen.” That’s what The Grasshopper offered me years ago, and he was right.

Maybe it’s different for you, but when I compare what I had to what I don’t have now, sadness sneaks in the back door. It’s almost like the secret recipe for sadness is this: take a sweet memory from the past and pretend it hasn’t passed.

And comparison presents itself in many ways. “Empty Nest Syndrome”? Just a comparison. “Feeling your age”? Same thing. I used to think faster. I used to be prettier. I used to have more energy. And let’s not forget the universal sadness-maker: “What if?”

Or, poetically put: Longing for a time that doesn’t exist will make sadness persist.

Truth is, there’s enough sadness that shows up on its own—we don’t need to pile on by comparing old to new.

Looking for a better approach? Compare now to now. That gives you a real-time read on what you’ve got to work with, instead of rummaging through the dusty storeroom of what’s gone.

Reminds me of a story . . . When I first got into radio as a DJ, I wanted to move up—bigger city, better station, more money. I sent out more audition tapes than the next five radio guys I knew, combined. And what did I get? A mountain of rejection letters.

Here’s the crazy part: I kept them. Filed them. Reread them. Over and over. Until one day it hit me: none of those rejections had anything to do with now. So I tossed the whole file in the trash. And I swear, I felt lighter the second I did. From that day forward, I focused on what I had to offer now, not who didn’t want me back then.

Yes, I agree, comparison can be a useful tool to measure progress. But if you keep pretending the “good old days” are still here, you’ll stall out and pout. That’s the kind of comparison that breeds sadness—and blocks the possibilities now has to offer.

All the best,

John