virgin islands scene

If we could learn to like ourselves, even a little, maybe our cruelties and angers might melt away.
-- John Steinbeck
 

 

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Negative assumptions

Negative assumptions drive negative experiences. Negative assumptions can become so thoroughly familiar and ingrained in your thinking that you don’t even realize they’re there.

Assumptions guide your perceptions, and your perceptions determine the way you respond to each situation. It’s important to make sure those assumptions are not working against you.

When you come upon a situation that seems negative, challenge yourself to explain to yourself why you consider it to be negative. There’s a good chance that you’ll discover your own assumptions are making it worse than it really is.

When you assume that something is distracting, or painful, or annoying, it will be. Yet you can significantly change things by letting go of the assumption, or by choosing a more empowering one.

Just because you’ve always assumed something, does not make it always true. Make the effort to be more aware of your assumptions, and challenge them.

With a new set of assumptions, the same old situation could be completely different. And you’ll suddenly see a whole new world of possibilities.

— Ralph Marston

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