Lawn Mowing

What chores are a bore?  We all have them, but is there a way to approach them that gets us out of our head and on to more peace of mind? Yes there is and you can 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 website: https://grasshoppernotes.com​​ 

"The Grasshopper" 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

Lawn Mowing

 Spring has sprung in the smallest state in the U.S. – Rhode Island. That's where I live. Any day now the lawn will be in need of the first mowing of the year.

I hear that confession is good for the soul, so I confess that I’ve never been a fan of mowing the lawn. I’ve done it countless times and have always been left with an empty feeling when the task was completed. When people would ask, “Don’t you have a good feeling about your accomplishment?” the answer was always “No.” People scratched their head in bewilderment and I went on unfulfilled by my completed task.

The Grasshopper gave me this piece of “Green Thumbery” years ago:

“The quality of the steps determines the quality of the journey.”

If the steps of the journey are comprised of low level, negative energy, the outcome is insured to be low level. It may have all the outward appearances of accomplishment, but the energy that permeates the final product determines its perception.

My lawn mowing was accompanied by my mutterings. My mind was in a bog of negativity. More time was spent thinking about how I didn’t want to be doing this rather than paying attention to the doing. That's a prescription for having a cup that can never be filled.

I’m not suggesting that you or I fall in love with pushing a mower around. What I’m recommending is when we find ourselves doing a task that isn’t at the top of our favorites’ list, that we go about it mindfully. That means to give each step the proper attention it needs without the corrosive chit-chat that always delivers the same thing – an empty feeling.

This is not a request to put your heart into cleaning up dog poop from the yard; it’s more about the quality of attention you bring to a situation. This practice has deeper roots than doing unattractive household chores.

What are you attracting into your life? The answer should be easy. Just look around. Whatever is ever present is what you are attracting. Now the question becomes, “Is this what I want to be surrounded by?” if the answer is “No,” start paying attention to the steps.

Let’s look at the concept of “Obligation.” Suppose you feel obligated to do something. You're duty bound to complete this objective. Suppose that objective is to work in an unfulfilling job to feed your family. If you approach the daily steps you take towards your job with animus and loathing, the money you make, no matter how great, will be filled with low level energy, and the goods and services it buys will be tainted by this force field. Reminds me of a story . . .

There were two boyhood friends in the 1950’s – one was Catholic; the other Jewish. They were out walking around town and the Jewish boy found a dollar on the ground. He decided to share his good fortune with his friend. “Let’s go get some hamburgers” was his invitation. Oh, did I mention it was Friday? The Catholic boy said, “No I can’t have a hamburger because it’s Friday and we don’t eat meat on Friday.” The Jewish boy didn’t understand. He said, “Aren’t you hungry? Come on, I have a dollar and I can already taste those burgers.” The Catholic boy went along and had burgers for lunch. They tasted wonderful, but a half hour later he was having awful feelings about having eaten meat on Friday.

This is not a judgement on anyone’s beliefs just an observation that our beliefs infuse our actions with energy. It’s up to us about the type of energy we bring to the situation. Our beliefs are the stepping stones that provide a walkway for our journey. If our beliefs keep us bumping into reality and causing us pain, we are living in an illusionary, low level existence. It may be time to adopt some new beliefs that generate higher quality energy.

Back to the unattractive job . . . there are choices. You could approach the job with mindfulness about the task you are involved with at the moment. This mindfulness short circuits the constant blabbing inside your head and opens up some space in your thinking. When there is space in your thinking, the opportunity for new ideas to pop in increases. One of those new ideas may be the stepping stone to your new career. This thought will never get the opportunity to present itself if you’re constantly blathering inside your mind that you’re too important to cut the grass.

The energy you bring to something has an effect. Mindfulness is high level energy. Pay attention to the steps and the journey will take care of itself.

All the best,

John