The Art of Non-Assumption
for example, never assume your child will not lick a snail. Because, actually, it's more likely that not only will he try to lick it, but he will also try to eat it.
But today I'm going to chat with you about something that crawls its way into each one of these categories.
Assumption.
The reason I'm talking about assumption (or believing something is true or going to be true...without proof) is because it can be one of greatest agents against believing beautiful.
We make assumptions every day. Some are harmless, many are not.
Many of our assumptions hurt us, inhibit us, or separate us from the truth.
Our biggest assumption: it's all about us.
Or on the opposite side of the coin: it's not enough about us.
We assume things about ourselves and how we are perceived. Maybe we believe that everyone is thinking about how fat we are or how weird our nose is. Maybe we are assuming that our home is not cute enough to invite others over. Maybe we are assuming that people just plain don't like us. Or maybe we assume that people judge us by what we are doing or not doing with our lives.
Our quick assumptions often lead to criticizing ourselves or others, comparing ourselves, and competing with others.
So, how do we learn the art of non-assumption? Or, in other words, how do we stop acting on our assumptions instead of the truth?
For me, it's as simple as acknowledging that something is an assumption and questioning it rather than accepting it.
For example, if I assume that someone doesn't want to have coffee with me, I can have one of two responses:
1. Believe it to be true and forego asking them out for a coffee outing.
2. Realize that it's an assumption and ask them to join me for coffee.
Today, I'd encourage you to filter through your thoughts and start identifying assumptions. Then, ask yourself if they are directing your actions or affecting your relationships with others.
Do you guys have any tips for learning the art of non-assumption?
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