Take The Guesswork Out Of It

Stop guessing what people mean. Ask and clarify what's not specific. Find out how in this mini podcast.

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

Take The Guesswork Out Of It

Picture this: your back is turned, and you hear a woman say, “I lost my bow. ”Now, you can’t see how she spelled it . . . so your mind starts throwing darts.

Did her boyfriend bail on her? Is she short a ribbon for wrapping presents? Did her violin's fiddlestick suddenly go missing?

We can’t know — but we sure love to guess.

My late mentor, Dr. Dave Dobson, had a great word for guessing: he called it “hallucinating.” And he was right. We hallucinate meaning all the time when we don’t stop to check.

My friend Paul has a perfect example. He was in a band with his radio station boss. They had a Friday night gig and planned to meet so they could all ride together. The boss said, “Meet me at Denny’s.” Small problem: there were two Denny’s — Denny’s Donuts and Denny’s Diner. You already know where this is going. They wound up at different places.

And then there’s my favorite case of hallucination — this one from Alfred Lord Tennyson in The Charge of the Light Brigade. A messenger delivers the order, “Advance to the front.” The commander looks out and sees not one, not two, but three fronts. Did he ask, “Which one?” Nope. He guessed. And that guess cost 600 men their lives.

So here’s the point: if you want fewer mix-ups, do less guessing.

Ask. Clarify. Get specific.

It constantly shows up in business. I worked with a radio general manager who always promised advertisers “a ton” of free promos if they signed a contract. Not once — not once — did anyone ever ask, “What’s a ton?” or “How many promos is that, exactly?” Everyone just hallucinated what they thought it meant.

And that’s how miscommunication spreads like weeds.

Take the guesswork out of your conversations. Be specific. Ask the question. it could be the difference between dollars . . . and doughnuts.

All the best,

John