Who's Reacting?

Did you ever pause and ask yourself "Who's reacting?" to something inappropriate you said aloud or to yourself? It's a question that can save you a lot of guilty feelings.

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.co

Transcript

Who’s Reacting?

When you react to something—or someone—who’s actually reacting?

Is it you . . . or is it your conditioning?

That question hit me last night after I had a pretty callous reaction to something I read online.

Almost immediately, I turned on myself and started to go down a path of self-criticism. But then this thought jumped in:

“Whoa . . . that’s not who I am. That’s not what I believe.”

And then it clicked.

My initial reaction? It was an old one. From a time before I grew into the beliefs I hold today.

Even though I outgrew that way of thinking, it didn’t stop the thought from popping into my head. And at first, that made me feel guilty—like I’d somehow failed.

But before I took a long drive down the boulevard of blame, something else showed up: awareness.

I realized that thought didn’t belong to the person I am now.

It belonged to someone I used to be—someone who hadn’t yet seen the prejudice he was carrying around.

That old bias didn’t appear overnight. It was conditioned over time, until it felt like truth.

Thankfully, one day I was given the gift of awareness—the realization that I was holding onto a belief that was, one, cruel . . . and two, not a true reflection of my heart.

That’s when the evolution began.

So here’s the takeaway:
 If you catch yourself reacting in a way that no longer feels like you, pause.

Recognize it for what it is—a blast from the past, as we used to say in radio—and give yourself a pass.

That thought isn’t you anymore.

And remembering that can save you a whole lot of unnecessary guilt.

All the best,
John