Give Up Your Guru - Grasshopper

Inspiration without perspiration is all wet.

Sitting at the feet of a learned leader can be a life changing event or it can be an addictive drug that keeps you hooked.

I love great quotes and am inspired by them. The ancient Chinese gave us many to feed on and this one ranks right at the top: "Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will eat for a lifetime."

The difficulty is we can easily become the "quoter" of quotes rather than the "liver" of life.

We can find a guru in any field, yet the harvest will be weak if we don't pick up a rake.

A true teacher will equip you with the tools to find your own crop. The ones that keep you dependent on them spell "crop" with an "a."

The burden of learning belongs to the student - not the teacher.

I'm sure some people walked away from Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount" and spat out quotes left and right, yet left the teaching behind.

To prove this universal principle, go to any place of worship on the Sabbath and stand outside afterwards and listen to the conversations. The behaviors of some will contradict that which was just taught. A parrot can quote a sacred text; only a hypocrite can defile it.

I've had the good fortune of having many great teachers and each one of them opened up a different place within me and I offer respect when I quote them and give them their due. I disrespect their teaching when I offer it to you and don't follow it myself.

A great teacher will lead you to your own teachings - the ones you can live and pass on. A great teacher will reach inside of you and pull out a mirror and show you your soul. It's from this place that your own teachings begin.

There is an axiom in business that's rarely followed - Groom your replacement.

What truly loving parent doesn't want their children to exceed them in every worthwhile area of life?

A great teacher wants you to add unexpected depth to their message and be the living, breathing embodiment of your own findings. 

There comes a time in life when it's time to give up your guru and go to work on you. Hanging on to the teachings won't free your hands to do the work that's necessary to find your own experience.

It's as simple as this: You can't hide behind a quote if your lack of experience makes it transparent.

All the best,

John

http://GrasshopperNotes.com/blog