The Truth of our Assumptions

We all have faulty assumptions -- lots of them.

Everyone makes assumptions. We do it all day long. We assume that the pretty woman would say “no” if we were to ask her out on a date. We assume that we won’t get a raise if we ask for it. We assume that a new diet won’t work for us. If we’re stuck, we assume that there’s nothing we can do to change our lives for the better.

But the truth is we all have faulty assumptions. We have lots of them.

Consider: if everything you believed were true, you’d have exactly the life you desire. If everything you believed about money were true, you’d have more of it than anyone else. So if your life is lacking in some way, then you believe things that aren’t true.

When we hold faulty beliefs, we make faulty assumptions. It’s a trap because testing all of our assumptions is a great way to find the truth.

Rather than assuming a course of action is doomed to fail, put the universe to the test and make it say “no.” Maybe you’ll be right and maybe you’ll be wrong. But this is the only way to know for certain.

Try these steps to learn the truth:

1.     Pick 2 areas of your life that could use improvement. Perhaps it’s your weight and your finances. It might be your love life and your career. The areas in which you’re struggling are the areas with the most incorrect assumptions.

2.     Find someone that’s doing better in your areas of interest. We all have a co-worker or friend who seems to defy all logic and have a high level of success. Maybe you have a co-worker who always seems to get the best bonus or the promotion, despite appearing average or even low performing.

3.     In your opinion, what are the “rules” being violated by that person? What do you think they’re doing incorrectly that should be stopping them from success?

4.     Test. Could you be wrong? Is there a way to test your hypothesis and discover the truth? Keep in mind that a solid experiment requires more than a single test. You can’t try a new way of flirting with just one person and come to a reasonable conclusion. It might require 20 people and a few weeks of flirting!

5.     Keep testing your beliefs and assumptions. There are numerous times each day we don’t try because we assume we’ll be told “no.” Find out if you’re actually right.

Certainly, you can remember a time when you knew you would be told “no,” but you went ahead and asked anyway, and much to your surprise, everything worked out. How many other times might that happen if you simply tried?

For a month, give yourself the gift of testing out every possibility that comes to mind, without risking life and limb. There’s no reason to prove that you can’t flap your arms and fly. But ask the object of your desires out on a date. Apply for the job you’re sure you can’t get. Put your online business idea into action.

After a month, you’re sure to find you were wrong about many things. You’ll also discover that the times you were right weren’t nearly as painful as you anticipated!

Learning how to deal effectively with the world requires stretching yourself and gaining experience. As you discover new distinctions, your perception of the world will change and your approach to life will see positive benefits.