Role and Rule of Assumptions

Recently I awoke groggy from a night of fitful sleep. Later that day I received a call from a friend who said she wanted to talk with me and share an observation about website opt-in offers. (I made a new freebie available in early April.) My immediate assumption was that something was wrong. My ability to check in with myself was compromised by my lack of sleep, and by my past experience that the phrase, “Can I talk with you,” meant something negative.

I checked in with myself quickly, though. There wasn’t anything negative about my friend’s observations, only about my assumptions. I assumed that action X will always deliver result Y. I closed myself to the possibility of an almost exponential number of outcomes. For a moment I forgot that one of The Simple Secrets to Reset Your Mindset is to check in with yourself and to check out others’ assumptions.

Remember the sense of wonder you had as a child at magic shows? Amazement at a bunny pulled from a hat? We believed that magic is real and that the magician performed a miracle. As adults, we know that the magician fooled us by misdirecting our attention. He played on our assumptions. Our beliefs are now different and we no longer assume the hat is empty.

The body’s wisdom can help us test our assumptions when we feel disappointment that people or events don’t behave the way we assume they should. What if instead, we were fully authentic and questioned our assumptions about what people think, what’s appropriate in life or business, and what we can do away with? We can’t read minds, as much as we want to believe we can, despite what the magician’s card tricks make us believe.

What we assume is true about a person or situation may not be. Author Byron Katie, exhorts us to ask ourselves, “What if this weren’t true? What happens when you believe this thought? Who would you be without the thought?”

Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in awhile, or the light won't come in. ~ Alan Alda

This month, question the assumptions in your business. What role do they play? How do assumptions rule your business decisions? Test assumptions about your customers. Do you assume that because they have always worked with you that they will continue? Does that mean you shouldn’t check in with them? When clients don’t sign up for your programs, it’s often not about you at all.

Be aware of how assumptions rule your behavior. Stop. Look. Listen. Use your assumptions to help you check in with yourself. Enjoy the freedom you experience releasing the role and rules of assumptions.

Don't Make Assumptions. Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life. ~ Miguel Angel Ruiz