Bitter Taste - Grasshopper

The Grasshopper spouted these words recently: “If you have a bitter taste in your mouth, spit it out!”

After a bit of reflection, my guess is that means not to swallow it, nor spew it at another.

We’ve heard of a bitter pill to swallow. This new advice says, “don’t swallow it.” Rather, notice the taste so you don’t ingest that which will have ill effects on you and the rest.

Think of someone you know who’s bitter. Perhaps it’s you. What you’ll notice, if you pay a bit of attention, is that bitter taste affects everyone in the place. It’s like passing gas in a hot, crowded car.

This is more than a prescription not to be bitter. That would be a directive without direction. It’s more about noticing beforehand that if you swallow that pill, you give it license to poison all in your company, including you.

Everyone has their own unwelcome realities to deal with. But if you swallow them, they’ll fester. Don’t deny that they exist, just refuse them passage down your alimentary canal.

If you’ve already swallowed that pill, there is a remedy for you too. Notice the sensations in your body that it produces. Locate the area that’s being affected. Now focus on that sensation and that location. That means to fully feel the bitterness. By giving your full attention to that sensation, you pave the way for its transmutation, which is a fancy way of saying, you’re turning your sour wine into water.

No one likes being around bitter people. Their mood is catchier than a yawn in a crowd. If you notice that people are avoiding you, you either haven’t bathed in a while, or you’re filled with poisonous bile.

If you find this message too hard to swallow, sadly, you’ll continue to wallow and your relationships will remain hollow.

But if there is a maxim to follow, try this one on for size: If you don’t want to pout, spit it out!

All the best,