Challenge Your Assumptions

I was watching a TV program yesterday and I heard Martha Beck (God bless Martha Beck) tell someone to challenge their assumptions. Whole worlds open up when we are willing to think outside the box and this is a perfect way to start that process.

Assumptions are like the underlying belief systems I have often written about. They are arbitrary, often self-created ideas that we have come to believe to strongly, that we will actually dance, do cartwheels around, turn ourselves into pretzels for, and - much worse - actually go so far as to ruin our health for. In this case it was a woman who was a caregiver and who cared for everyone but herself. Hello! Isn't this the story of your life too?

Because if things are out of alignment in your life, it's the wake up call life is giving you - the ding-dong get a grip you have to take care of yourself wake up call. An empty tank has no energy and nothing at all to give. And a drained person doesn't either.

Our not so blissful American style lifestyle is in most cases much more hectic and stressful than lifestyles in most other countries - it's sometimes hard to even imagine taking 5 minutes to take care of yourself in the superhuman days we set out to overcome each morning. After a while, it makes sense to believe this just has to be the way it is.

But this is where it becomes crucial to use your mind. These underlying belief systems aren't necessarily based on any truth. They are arbitrary and they were often self-conceived, or at least self-accepted and we, being the masters of our own universe, have the power to change them.

Just like that. For this woman - changing her belief or assumption from: giving care = love, to: receiving care = love was the huge first step in recognizing this truth.

So here is a little assignment for the week... challenge some of your assumptions. If you are stressed in the morning, if you are stressed EVERY morning, challenge your assumption that mornings have to be stressful in order to be effective. Look at the patterns that are blatantly visible in your life and question whether each pattern is based on an ultimate truth or a chosen truth. Hint: if the opposite can be true - it's probably a chosen truth.

You don't have to do anything with it (yet!) but this is a great, great exercise to start identifying things you assume and the underlying belief systems you are basing your very life upon. If you find ridiculous patterns and beliefs (like mornings HAVE to be stressful - that's one of mine) be kind to yourself, laugh with yourself, be compassionate and understanding of how you got there. Once you have brought them to light, you can figure out what you'll do about them, but you can't figure out what to do about things you don't see. So, again, make this your challenge this week and enjoy yourself with it.

Blessings.
- Darshan



© 2009 Darshan F Jessop