Assumptions
June 16, 2010 by VividLife Admin
Filed under Insights
“The harder you fight to hold on to specific assumptions, the more likely there’s gold in letting go of them.”
— John Seely Brown
It is so easy to assume things. These seemingly innocent, simple thoughts can actually hold you back so much. We can assume that we know what somebody is thinking or feeling, or what their intentions are, and really they are all simply based on our own feelings (fears usually) or observations. And they may not be all that accurate in the end.
I know I feel very frustrated when people assume things about me. One big challenge for my friends or family and myself is to not assume we know exactly what the other person is thinking or feeling. We usually do know each other very well, but we are still individuals. I have assumed I knew what the other person was feeling during a discussion, for example, only to be completely wrong because I was basing it all on my fears or beliefs, not on reality.
Maybe it’s because we want things to fit neatly into the tidy place that we have created in our minds that we tend to fall into these assumptions. But people and situations are not always like puzzle pieces that click into place to reveal the true picture. Sometimes it is just easier and better for all concerned to ask questions like “How do you feel about this?” or “What is the real situation we are facing?” You may be surprised how far off we can be in our assumptions. And when we let them go, that’s usually when we find the gold… such as peace, love, and happiness, AND truth.
