Humans have a powerful imagination, very powerful. We listen to the symbols talking in our heads. We start imagining what other people are doing, thinking, saying about us, and we dream things up in our imagination. The problem with making assumptions is that we believe they are the truth! We invent a whole story that’s the only truth for us, but we believe it.
The key is to ‘understand’ the assumptions. The dictionary explains it as “a thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.” However, the truth is that the assumptions are sneaky and can be a trap. We can be in their grasp before we even realize it. They are the stories we make up to fill in for what we don’t know.
The assumptions that we tend to deliver from, have a direct impact on the way we perceive the situation and our response to it. Once we start assuming things, we tend to look at every situation from that lens, thereby, validating what we already believe in. However, it is to be kept in mind that this process is to only validate our assumptions and not to understand them. And we make all sorts of assumptions because we don’t have the courage to ask questions.
As per him, the deeper questions to ponder upon is, “What assumptions are we operating from? Are those for myself, my identity, about the world, or everything else around me?”
When we start to manage our assumptions, they stop operating in an auto-pilot mode. That’s the first step to creating more possibilities. This skill is at the heart of emotional intelligence. When I understand what triggers my assumptions, self-awareness helps me shift to curiosity instead.
This is where we talk about taking a pause and allowing our neo-cortex to process information, rather than letting our reptilian brain fire the shots. Our ability to break this chain will allow us to make an informed decision rather than operating from an auto-pilot space. Then we see life the way it is, not the way we want to see it.
If you’re the one who is always willing to grow, challenge the old and welcome the new, here’s your chance, to embrace all of it. Come and join us for a LIVE webinar at the ICW 2020, beginning from the 4th-10th May. To be a part of our free webinar, book your slots here, now!
