Last April, The Grasshopper delivered the following Nip of Nectar:

“Struggling is an insurance policy to keep whatever is bothering you in place.”

Unless you are physically jostling with someone, all of our struggles are mind made manifestations. The Grasshopper’s message is very similar to the peace keeping question that was prevalent in the late 1960’s: What if they gave a war and no one came?

Going to war with yourself is a common occurrence. It’s called struggling. Even when you are in an adversarial position with another, you may not be struggling with them. Perhaps, you are being pushed into struggle by the notion that everyone should think like you. Either way, it’s a battle going on between your ears.

What if you put your normal response on hold? I learned a very interesting piece of management philosophy a number of years ago that is quite effective. If you are a manager, you know from experience that you are presented with a bevy of fires that need extinguishing on a regular basis. The mantra for managers is action. But what if you acknowledged certain situations and just let them sit for awhile? What you will find is that many fires self extinguish without any action or struggle.

I had the good fortune to be at a meeting where radio mogul, Lowry Mays was speaking. Someone asked him what a typical day was like for a man who oversaw as much as he did. His answer was, “When I arrive at work and sit behind my desk, I just shoot the snake closest to my foot.” That’s an exercise in prioritizing from someone who has mastered the skill.

So how do we know which fires to tend to and which ones to put on the back burner?

If you look at the above grid, you will see two columns. One column is headed ME, and the other one GOD. I first saw this grid when exposed to Colin Tipping‘s work.

The ME column is where you put down all the things that you are capable of doing. These are measurable tasks that have obvious beginnings, benchmarks and conclusions.

The GOD column is where you put the struggles – the things that continually go back and forth in your mind with no obvious solution.

The conversation with God goes something like this: “God, I know I can get out the monthly report, make the necessary phone calls, clean the garage, and wash the dog, but I have turned over every rock I can think of in regards to (put your struggle here) and I have no answers. I’m putting this one in your column until you send me a solution.”

You may have heard the prayer, “Let go and let God.” That’s the essence of ending the struggle.

By the way, make sure you don’t put everything on God’s list. You were given certain skill sets by your creator to work on the items on your ME list. God put those items on your side of the ledger because that’s your job. Those are your snakes to shoot.

It’s really a misconception given to us by our ego that we can handle it all. Our minds have been conditioned that if we struggle long enough, we will get what we want. Unfortunately, the grindstone has caused many to lose their sense of smell.

Here’s a thought for the New Year: Give God the things that you can’t handle and trust that a solution will be forthcoming.

Happy New Year!

All the best,

John

P.S. Every Monday morning look for new Nips of Nectar at http://GrasshopperNotes.com While you are there, you can also sign up to have a new Grasshopper Note arrive in your email in box every Monday morning.

P.P.S. If you are struggling with a nasty smoking habit or are carrying around more weight than is comfortable, please visit http://JohnMorgaanHypnosis.com and get help with your struggles.