Previous Notes
Living in your mind is like living in a sand castle. When the wind blows or the ocean roars, you become homeless - Grasshopper
Talking to yourself inside your head is a major part of the human condition. Some call it thinking. We come out from this seemingly private fortress to interact with others or to give our attention to something like the material in a book, the music being played, or to the content of a movie or TV show. Then we go right back inside to this noisy nest.
Fair is a Fairy Tale - Grasshopper
Did you ever notice that Reality doesn’t ask your opinion before taking action?
Reality does what it does and we have a reaction. We may be elated if
Reality has us win the Grasshopper High Jump Sweepstakes or deflated if
we have the losing ticket.
A person filled with anger focuses on whose fault it is rather than seeking a solution - Grasshopper
Blame is a universal dysfunction of the human mind. The underlying notion of blame is that a set of circumstances has to be someone’s fault. The natural offshoot of that idea is that someone has to pay. And one of the built in protection mechanisms we have determines that the person paying the tab will not be me.
Revenge is always a sugar high - Grasshopper
When can you ever remember the "sweetness" of revenge lasting for more than a moment? Just how quickly does satisfaction disappear after you tell your boss to stuff it where the sun doesn't shine? I can tell you from personal experience that it feels great to speak your mind that way. Then you are immediately faced with no job and no paycheck.
Some people would rather be right than happy. And preferring to be right, they are left out - Grasshopper
Many states in the USA have traffic circles. I've driven around most of them. By law, the driver whose car is in the circle has the right of way. If there is a huge truck approaching the circle on one of the feeder roads, the driver in the circle still has the right of way. The oncoming truck is required to yield to the car in the circle.
Unwinding is simply unbinding yourself from your thoughts - Grasshopper
How do you unwind? Is it with a glass of wine, a shower, a chat with a friend or spouse? Do you take a nap, read something, meditate, or do you take a walk or jog? These are some of the things people do to relax.
Reality is what happens. Perceived reality is what goes on between your ears - Grasshopper
We spend the majority of our lives steeped in illusion. Illusion is the offspring of an encounter between Reality and perceived reality.
Surrender takes you to a peaceful place of transformation - Grasshopper
Suppose you are afraid of needles and are compelled to get one because of necessary travel to a country that requires inoculation. Four Sumo Wrestlers appear out of nowhere and hold you down so you don't run away in fear. Do you struggle against these giants? Most people do. Does that make any sense?
Mistakes are for Math - Grasshopper
Who doesn't make mistakes? - dead people, rocks, and my father (to hear him tell it). Also, God doesn't make mistakes. And guess what, neither do you - except in Algebra.
If your only nourishment comes from the Caldron of Culture, you will always have a soup stain on your shirt - Grasshopper
It looks like a fancy restaurant, but it's only a soup kitchen. That's culture. Culture never invents anything; it reflects the mostly superficial wants and desires of its club members. We all have membership in culture – even hermits.
Your strongest asset is your Achilles Heel - Grasshopper
This seems like backwards logic. It is! Sometimes you have to look at something from a different vantage point to get a deeper meaning.
If you set mouse traps, you always get mice - Grasshopper
Have you ever caught sight of yourself in a mirror and said something like, "I look just like my father/mother"? Have you ever caught yourself in the middle of a mannerism and said the exact same thing? It happens all the time.
Know Less, Discover More - Grasshopper
Whatever you're holding on to for dear life is an impediment to learning something new. Something knew is better than something known. If you allow your knowing to become past tense and short-lived, then new discoveries will thrive.
When you say, "I'll never get over it" or "used to it," you're referring to the thought, not the event - Grasshopper
Those thoughts come from your ego, not you. Thoughts from the real you will never keep you stuck. Additionally, you will never fully appreciate life until you discover that it's not your life to begin with. Just this subtle shift of awareness will have you making less attempts at getting used to things, and open you to inspiration that gets you unstuck - moving you forward in life.
No Sin is Harder to Forgive than Another - Grasshopper
Is it possible that The Grasshopper has ruffled some feathers with this pronouncement? I immediately had objections to this gift from G-force, so I just sat with it for a moment. Then the truth behind the words became clear.
Stones weren't created; they became separated - Grasshopper
Everytime you see a rock or a stone, you are seeing a piece of the whole. It looks like it has always been a separate entity but that's never the case. We think of other people as separate from us, but that also is never the case.
If You Have No Thoughts in Your Head, You Have No Problems - Grasshopper
That may be a foreign thought to many, but the simplicity of The Grasshopper's message bears further investigation. Problems are interpretations of reality. Problems are mind made manifestations. And problems get in the way of solutions.
If You Can’t Love Everybody, You’ll Never Completely Love Yourself - Grasshopper
Everybody??? Yes, everybody. It's not as improbable as it appears, and it's easier than you think. The benefit is far greater than you may imagine.
Success is less dependent on your goal and more determined by what you believe you can have - Grasshopper
Goal setting is the global preoccupation. There was a cartoon that Eckhart Tolle referred to recently that read something like this:
"The reason you set goals is so you can keep track of all the things you have failed at."
A True Apology Comes Without Justification - Grasshopper
The closest life comes to having an undo button is an apology. It shows respect, mends wounds, and opens a door for forgiveness to walk through. We rarely apologize effectively, causing our offense to be even more offensive.
You'll Be Stuck With That Thought Until You Aren't - Grasshopper
There is no debate that thoughts are the glue that keep us stuck. The question is, "who has the glue remover?" The answer may surprise you.
After Knowing Me, You'll Never Be Able To Be You Again - Grasshopper
There are certain experiences in life that open you to new vistas, that once seen and experienced, will change how you think about yourself forever. One of those experiences is presence.
When You Get The Answer, You Stop Wrestling With The Question - Grasshopper
How much clock time do we spend in our lives looking for answers? If thinking is the number one preoccupation of humans, then looking for answers has to be next.
The Winding Path is the Closest Distance Between You and Revelation - Grasshopper
Did you ever wonder why the path of life is not a straight line? It's designed to wind so that you get to meet more of God's creations.
Sorry Only Works Once - Grasshopper
An apology contains power. The wind leaves its sail when it's repeatedly used for the same transgression.
The Surest Way to Miss Your Life is to Take the Detour to Illusion - Grasshopper
"The American Dream" is a marketing mantra that leads us to a detour where we chase the horizon and never arrive.
Patience is the Ability to Wait the Time it Takes - Grasshopper
Impatience is a conscious effort to speed up the timetable of the Universe. This activity is folly and extreme hubris wrapped together and brandished as a weapon – one that even windmills aren't afraid of.
The Thumb That’s Holding You Down Contains Your Fingerprint - Grasshopper
And speaking of digits, finger pointing is a global game whose sole aim is to assess blame.
“The Devil Made Me Do It” Is More Than A Comedian’s Legacy - Grasshopper
The late comedian, Flip Wilson popularized the above phrase during a recurring skit on his TV show. It comically connoted that something else was the cause for your shenanigans. This concept has more truth than meets the "take responsibility for your own actions" eye.
Sometimes it Has to Get Totally Dark for Someone to See the Light - Grasshopper
There is an upside to the dark side. It's a pathway to find out who you truly are.
Everything Is As It Should Be Because Everything Is As It Is - Grasshopper
The first part of the quote comes from The Buddha and the second part of the quote came to me via The Grasshopper. Who is The Grasshopper and what does this combination quote mean?
Between Marbles and Marble There’s Room to Find Life - Grasshopper
From the time we discover our humanness to the time when our name is inscribed on polished stone, there is an ever present opportunity to wipe the sleep out of our eyes and see what's always been there – life.
Thinking it Over has Less Odds than Wishing on a 4 Leaf Clover - Grasshopper
A conversation in your head is an impotent reaction to reality that cannot effectuate change, anymore than a gelding can be a proud papa.
Nothing Grows in a Field That Won’t Yield - Grasshopper
Resistance keeps you like hardened soil where nothing grows making your crops barren and your field overrun with tumbleweeds.
No One is Good or Evil – Just Patterned - Grasshopper
People who are judged Right or Wrong, Good or Bad, Sinner or Saint, all come from the same family tree. The behavioral differences they display are determined by the conditioning they collect.
Anger is a Bodyguard that Keeps You Isolated - Grasshopper
When you are aware enough to interrupt your anger, you find a connection that's always been there.
Here But For The Space Of God Am I - Grasshopper
Did you ever notice that everything occupies a space? A space has been made for everything. There is room at the Inn for you and me.
My Ego’s Bigger Than Your Ego - Grasshopper
Ever been in a conversation with someone where you wanted to one-up them, have the last word, appear smarter, win at all costs? Welcome to the world class game, Who's Got The Bigger Ego?
Nature Doesn’t Think; It Just Creates - Grasshopper
When nature flows into your thinking, you will create great things. Great things require less thinking.
If It Could Only Be Like It Never Was - Grasshopper
Memories are deceiving. They are colored by predispositions and faded by time and edited of their flaws before we watch the rerun in our mind's eye.
Then Isn’t Happening Now - Grasshopper
Did you ever notice that "then" can be past or future? Then can never be now but we live our whole life in then and wonder why it's not happening now.
The Largest Mistake You Can Make with Another is to Communicate Their Lack of Importance to You - Grasshopper
"I couldn't care less" is the message of relationship death and it is sent out more often than you can imagine.
Tomorrow’s Difference is Based on the Consciousness You Have Now - Grasshopper
My friend, Hali recently saw this saying on a church billboard: "Today is the tomorrow you were worried about yesterday." How much time can we afford to be absent absorbed in future worry or past woe?
The Vibration of Your Bell can be Heaven or Hell - Grasshopper
Did you ever notice how short the sound associated with the ringing of a bell actually is? The sound comes out of silence and returns to silence, and what is in between is our existence.
The Real “Catch 22” is Your Criticism of You - Grasshopper
Self criticism keeps alive any unwanted condition in you by giving it more energy with every blow you strike.
A Mistake is Renaming a Part of Reality We Don’t Like - Grasshopper
We truly make a mistake when we deny the outcome of reality by saying, "It shouldn't have happened."
Suckle This: The Bosom of Being - Grasshopper
How much of our lives are spent on the receiving end of a dried up, cultural teat?
When Looking For A Sign, You May Miss The Exit - Grasshopper
Countless, unsuccessful attempts at seeking a sign to show up have not prevented us from continuing a practice that doesn't work.
You Have to Let Go of What Was in Order to Get to What Is - Grasshopper
"What was" intentions put too much of our attention on the past. The ego loves this because it has succeeded in convincing us that we can change the past and control the uncontrollable. We can't. "What is" puts our intention and attention on our present reality and what's possible.
We are Attracted to Those Who Will Discharge Our Tensions - Grasshopper
Dreams discharge tension; that's why this is the person of our dreams.
Stop Wishing for What You Don’t Want - Grasshopper
The more time you spend at this dried up well, the more you thirst for that which you cannot quench.
All Problems Have Solutions But Not Unless You Notice Them - Grasshopper
Too much of our effort in finding solutions is misplaced which delays them even longer.
You Can’t Fall Apart While Being Picked Apart - Grasshopper
Falling apart is a natural occurrence; picking apart is a mind made strategy that derails the process.
Your Thoughts Are Not Allowed In Heaven - Grasshopper
Best I can guess, everyone goes the same place when they die – let's call it heaven. The trick is to visit heaven as often as you can while you're living, so you can feel the aliveness of having no thoughts.
Life’s Menu Is Limited When You Only Shoot Fish In A Barrel - Grasshopper
The low hanging fruit will only feed you for so long and then real hunger appears.
Keeping Something At Arm’s Length Just Keeps It In Proximity - Grasshopper
The real chase begins with an embrace.
Feeling Sad Isn’t All Bad - Grasshopper
It can lead to peace of mind through peace of body.
The Best Defense Is No Defense At All - Grasshopper
It may not work in football, but it is one of life's essential inclusion strategies.
There Is No Reply That Will Satisfy “Why?” - Grasshopper
"Why?" rarely produces factual answers, just a bevy of emotional justifications that keeps the truth hidden and peace at a distance.
Time Will Never Heal A Wound That Has An Enemy - Grasshopper
The jury may still be deliberating that "time heals all wounds," but there is no question we are bound to those whom we love forever.
Worry Stops When You Die - Grasshopper
What you may not have noticed is there is another living, breathing remedy.
Bet On The Best Possible Outcome And You Will Never Lose - Grasshopper
Your odds of winning increase when you cease betting on what you want and start wagering on "What is."
The Flexibility Of Reality Is A Hard Thing To See - Grasshopper
The biggest blind spot we have as human beings is that we think that we live life. We live under the illusion of control. The opposite is true – life lives us. It's a reality. Here's another well kept secret: This animating force of life drives us, but as a passenger we cannot demand, but only suggest a route.
Humpty Dumpty And Spilt Milk Make A Great Omelet - Grasshopper
You can't unscramble an egg but you can have it be the base for something new.
Dreams Can Never Come True From A Position of Resistance - Grasshopper
Resistance is a condition that binds and blinds. Until the ropes are cut and the blindfold is removed, you'll stay tethered to the ground leaving the blue sky for others to find.
Your Willpower Wanes When Your Beliefs Remain The Same - Grasshopper
What happens when you run your life by an equation that is flawed? You get spotty results. The faulty calculus we've all learned revolves around the word "Willpower."
Redefining Reality Is A Full Time Job That Pays Paltry Wages - Grasshopper
Even the highest paid interpreters at the United Nations fail to communicate meaning. We also fail to find the illusive carrot called "meaning" when we continue to interpret reality and attempt to sell our definition of it as holy doctrine.
When You Stop Creating, You Stop The Flow Of Life - Grasshopper
Ask yourself: "Am I creating or existing on creations?" Your answer will clearly demonstrate whether you're fulfilling your life's purpose or drifting between circumstances.
The Christmas Spirit Is Love On Parade - Grasshopper
Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, there is something observable called "Christmas Spirit" that goes deeper than religion, gift giving and sharing a cup of cheer.
Feed Your Soul More Than Your Mind And Nourish Your Spirit - Grasshopper
It seems we have it "bass ackwards" which always leads to wanting more and getting less.
You Cannot Teach That Which You Are Unwilling To Learn - Grasshopper
We are all teachers with our lists of successes and failures. Our rate of success increases when we admit we know very little. That acknowledgement opens the flood gates to learning.
Your Favorite Color Isn’t The Only Choice - Grasshopper
It's hard to believe that in a box of 64 crayons we are able to narrow down our choice to just one preferred color, but we do.
If You Can’t Find It Here, You Won’t See It There - Grasshopper
Different Scenery, Same Destination - Grasshopper
There are many paths to heaven yet we remain busy arguing for ours.
If Your Life Is A Mere Footnote, Sing For More Than Just Kicks - Grasshopper
Going for just the gusto has you miss what sits below the foam.
Real Communication Begins When You Get Past Your Judgements - Grasshopper
When There Is No Container, You Cannot Be Contained - Grasshopper
Every Time You React, You Reenact - Grasshopper
Offer Your Presence And You’ll Always Bring A Gift - Grasshopper
When you bring nothing with you, you contribute to everyone's growth.
Your Addiction Reveals Your Affliction - Grasshopper
When you pick your poison, you can also spotlight the emotion that caused you to choose it.
When You Claim Something Doesn’t Affect You, It’s Already Taken Its Toll - Grasshopper
Even If You Never State It, You Communicate It - Grasshopper
The Scales Will Never Tip If You Keep Weighing Your Options - Grasshopper
You're stuck at a way station that keeps you weighted down when you wait for the scales to decide.
Being An Expert On The Problem Keeps You From Finding A Solution - Grasshopper
Defending The Strategy That Put You In A Ditch Makes Your Life A Continuing Abyss - Grasshopper
Behold The Moment And Take Your Life Off Hold - Grasshopper
When you participate in life, every moment is your moment.
When You Live Your Life In A Wishbowl, You Are Confined - Grasshopper
Swimming in circles is the best you can hope for when the only thing you possess is a wish.
Every Time You Try, You Lie - Grasshopper
"Try, try again" as your motto will have you win every audition for the part of Pinocchio.
Echoes And Shadows Are Mere Traces Of Reality - Grasshopper
Become Weary Of The Fight And You’ll Find The Light - Grasshopper
Accept the enlightened gift of surrender. It has no strings attached.
The Stock Market Is A Crock Market - Grasshopper
All Things Happen And Then We Reason - Grasshopper
When You Find Out More About People, You Find Out More About You - Grasshopper
Arguing With Yourself Is A One Person Play - Grasshopper
The Trouble With Not Noticing Leads To Trouble - Grasshopper
Life’s Hardest Mission Is Giving Up Control - Grasshopper
It would seem to be the easiest since control doesn’t exist, but that doesn’t keep us from insisting it does and attempting to bind people and things with non-existent rope.
Life Only Has One Real Choice – Responding - Grasshopper
When You Confuse Your Story With Your Life, You’re Stuck - Grasshopper
Every one of us has a story to tell and it’s telling how often it interferes with the flow of our life.
If Your Experience Doesn’t Match Your Philosophy, You’re Pretending - Grasshopper
Planning Allows You The Freedom To Be Spontaneous - Grasshopper
I’m wondering if you can remember how confident you felt when you actually studied for a test? It’s a much better feeling than having to struggle for answers, and it produces a better mindset with better results. The same is true in life.
A Notion Without Emotion is Just a Good Idea - Grasshopper
Good ideas are a penny a bushel. The ones that actually launch have a boatload of passion behind them. Any pursuit without passion is tiring and makes life feel lifeless.
The Fear To Act Is The Fear To Fail; Lots Of Action Is The Fear Of Death - Grasshopper
If You Only Judge And Never Feel, You Miss Your Life - Grasshopper
The Price Of Not Being A Victim – Priceless - Grasshopper
How much is your life worth? It's hard to set a limit on something so precious. Yet, we throw away our life every time we adhere to victimhood.
All Beliefs Are Exclusionary - Grasshopper
If you are human, you believe – but you weren't born that way. All beliefs are acquired and each acquisition comes with a built-in limitation – exclusion. Translation: Not like me.
Common Is The Norm, But It’s Not Normal - Grasshopper
If You're Married To A Philosophy, At Least Sleep In Separate Beds - Grasshopper
Everyone, stated or unstated, has a philosophy. It's our personal take on how thing are. Our most misguided move is when we turn a great date into a lousy marriage.
To Get More, Let More - Grasshopper
Being Done Wrong Is A Song Stuck In Everybody’s Head - Grasshopper
No wonder Country Music is so popular. The story lines that appear in the lyrics are a mirror of what goes on in our minds.
Holding On To A Grudge Holds Off Your Happiness - Grasshopper
Holding your story together about how another behaved is an inroad to impasse with no road signs pointing the way to happiness.
Life’s Hardest Challenge Is Finding Out Who You’re Not - Grasshopper
Life Is Passing You By If You Are Attempting To Solve It Rather Than Live It - Grasshopper
There’s Always Room At The Inn If You Create Space - Grasshopper
It may require knocking down a few walls, but the final result opens you up to unseen opportunities.
A Major Milestone Is Reached When You Discover The Difference Between What You Have And Who You Are - Grasshopper
Life Develops In The Dark - Grasshopper
It’s the unknown darkness that produces what can visibly be seen in the light of day.
We Too Often Offer Evidence For Who We Aren’t - Grasshopper
You Always Get What You Deserve - Grasshopper
The notion of deserve is an intellectual concept that has no counterpart in nature and is a giant glob of glue that keeps us from moving forward.
Addiction Is Fed By Emotional Cowardice - Grasshopper
There are all sorts of addictions – too many to name, but suffice it to say, they ain’t going away until we’re brave enough to feel our emotions.
When There’s Only One Way To Heaven, You Run Out Of Options - Grasshopper
How do we limit ourselves? Let me count the ways. The biggest one, of which, is having only one way.
Beliefs Are Frozen Thought Forms - Grasshopper
If you can’t warm up to someone else’s beliefs, there’s good reason – They are frozen. And so are yours.
The Only Thing That Separates You From Your Treasure Is Thought - Grasshopper
This is not the treasure you think about; it's the one you can only experience.
The Universal Fear Is Being Found Out - Grasshopper
Your secret fear is shared by every thinking being on earth – that they’ll figure out you’re not the person you pretend to be.
You Can't Fail The Test Because There Isn't One - Grasshopper
Unsolicited Advice Comes With A Price - Grasshopper
Whether you are the giver or receiver, you'll get stuck with the bill.
Your Guardian Angel Isn't Your Conscience - Grasshopper
Your conscience is conditioned; your angel is creative.
Heartbreak Is A Pathway To Life - Grasshopper
If you've never had your heart broken, you haven't really lived.
Remove "Because" And Outgrow Your Behavior - Grasshopper
"I'm _______________ because of _______________" is the blueprint for delaying a solution.
Your Life Lives Between A Snapshot And A Vision - Grasshopper
A snapshot is always about the past; a vision is always about the future. The question is: “What reflects what’s going on now?”
Before Your Beliefs, There Was You - Grasshopper
Spontaneity Spawns Creativity - Grasshopper
But what gives birth to spontaneity? Noticing you're about to enter a big, black hole again.
Just The Way You Are Is The Only Place You Can Begin - Grasshopper
"That's just the way I am" is almost always a justification to stay the same. Looked at from a slightly different angle, a similar statement can be a springboard to outgrow paralyzing conditioning.
Are You Playing A Game Of Skill Or Chance? - Grasshopper
Odds are, you may have your eggs in the basket where they'll easily crack.
If Excuses Were Currency, We’d All Prosper - Grasshopper
No transaction takes place when all we offer are excuses.
Moments Are Like Identical Twins – No Two Are Alike - Grasshopper
When we lump moments together or compare one to another, we miss the snowflake quality each moment brings.
Looking Back Is The Mother Of Detention - Grasshopper
Wonderful memories are to be celebrated and cherished and when you have a steady diet of looking back, you impede your progress.
Not Knowing The Answer Isn’t A Crime; Being Unwilling To Learn Is - Grasshopper
Many parents have mastered the art of making you feel stupid. Unfortunately, I count myself among them. It only takes one question – "You didn't know that?"
The Most Prized Real Estate Contains No Land - Grasshopper
Pure and simple, the most prized treasure is space – the one between your thoughts.
Rivers Have Beds But They Don’t Take Naps - Grasshopper
Did you ever notice that nature is effortlessly efficient in what it does? – No complex instruction manual needed. Simply put: Nature doesn't waste energy; it doesn't tire itself out.
The Death Of Respect Is The Beginning Of The End - Grasshopper
Whether we realize it or not, something is coming to, or is already at, an end when we devalue its worth.
The Step You’re On Now Determines Your Path - Grasshopper
Perhaps it's never occurred to you but the most important step is the one you are on now.
The Unwelcomed Visitor Eventually Needs A Hug - Grasshopper
Have you ever uttered the words, "I never expected that to happen to me"? But, for better or worse, it did happen and you met reality. This is a close encounter of the human kind that when recognized and given proper attention, causes a shift – one that helps us find a hidden gear.
Destination Frustration: Lie Until You Die - Grasshopper
The TV character, HOUSE has revealed an eternal truth: "Everybody Lies." And the biggest way to ensure continued frustration into eternity is to keep that practice alive.
When Respect And Gratitude Head Out The Door, They Leave It Open For Lack And Attack - Grasshopper
When my youngest son was taking swimming lessons, his instructor told him the magic words were "reach and pull." That worked well in the pool, but the magic words that work in life are . . .
Your Filters Color Your Future - Grasshopper
We all know expressions like, "The rich get richer" and "if it weren't for bad luck, I wouldn't have any luck at all," but we never investigate the process, only rail against the reality. This practice signifies a clogged filter.
Truth Doesn’t Bend - Grasshopper
The new global pastime is bending the facts to fit your truth. It's evident in politics, religion and other topics you don't talk about in mixed company.
Find The Gear That Works - Disengage - Grasshopper
We have many gears available but finding the one that works is the trick. You find it when you disengage.
Life Remains Dead When You Live Inside Your Head - Grasshopper
Have you ever repeatedly turned on a light switch during a power failure? Then you know the frustration of attempting to light your life without access to your power.
Memory Does More Than Link You To Your Past - Grasshopper
Life Is A Sensation, Not An Emotion - Grasshopper
What Love Song Are You Living? - Grasshopper
Did you ever notice that love songs mainly address one of three time frames – Then, Now and When?
Explore The Room Rather Than The Gloom - Grasshopper
Gloom sits in an isolated corner and rarely, if ever, notices the real estate that surrounds it.
The Fork Less Traveled - Grasshopper
© 2010, GrasshopperNotes.com. All rights reserved worldwide.