Student Or Teacher?

Turns out, we're both student and teacher. And when we learn something new, we pass it on. But often something keeps that from happening. Find out more 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

Student or Teacher?

Let me toss this thought your way . . . At any given moment, you’re both a student and a teacher.

You’re learning . . . and you’re passing something along—whether you mean to or not.

Most of what we learn early on? We don’t even realize we’re learning it. It just seeps in. Watching. Mimicking. Absorbing.

Monkey see, monkey do.

And here’s the catch – we can only teach what we’ve learned.

So if nothing new gets in . . . nothing new gets passed on.

That cycle stays stuck – until something breaks it.

Usually, it’s a person. A teacher. Someone who challenges what we think we already know . . . and hands us a new way to see things.

That’s where that line often attributed to The Buddha comes in: “When the student is ready, the teacher will appear.”

But I’ve always thought about it a little differently . . .

The teacher’s been there the whole time. It's the student who shows up late.

So how do stop being the tardy student?

Curiosity.

And here’s the interesting part – curiosity doesn’t usually show up when things are going great.

It shows up when you’re stuck. Frustrated. Spinning your wheels.

You start asking, “Is this really it?” “There’s got to be another way . . .”

And that question – that little crack in certainty – that’s what lets something new in.

That’s what leads you to a teacher.

But even then . . . that’s not enough.

You’ve probably had this happen—you're introduced to a great idea . . . it makes total sense . . . and then . . . nothing.

It just sits there.

Why?

Because we start arguing for our limitations.

“It won’t work.” “That’s not me.” “People like me don’t do that.”

And just like that – learning shuts down.

So here’s the pivot:

Action is what turns learning into something real.

Otherwise, it’s just . . . interesting information.

Think of it like a football coach. You can memorize every play in the book. Recite it perfectly.

But until you take the ball and actually run with it – you haven’t learned a thing.

You’re just repeating.

There’s an old line from The Grasshopper that says it perfectly: "A parrot can quote a sacred text . . . but only a hypocrite can defile it."

And we defile what we learn when we leave it sitting on a shelf as just a good idea.

So if you really want to honor your teachers –

Step out of the crowd and onto the field. Try something. Risk something.

That’s where learning actually happens.

That’s where you stop being a spectator . . . and start becoming both the student—and the teacher.

All the best,

John