ASSUMPTIONS

As far as I've been able to see,
It's not possible to live any kind of life without allowing assumptions.
The trick is to aware-fully make assumptions,
Rather than allow assumptions to unconsciously make you.

Consciously gauge probabilities
On the basis of which you can go on to form reasonable and emotionally balanced assumptions
And then take appropriate risks.
Taking risks is a basic human need.
Sentient beings who don't take risks -- die:
That process is called evolution.

Risks are healthy; hazards are not.
The hazard of making assumptions
Is in not recognising that you're making them.

How do we know when we're being persuaded to swallow an assumption or three?
We start hearing phrases like --

• Everybody/we all/any idiot knows that.........
• It's self-evident/obvious that.........
• Obviously/undoubtedly/surely...............
• If you don't agree with what I say then you're against us..........

How do I recognise when I've personally been squatting on an assumption that I don't know about?
Life has given me a couple of marker-flags......
Called Failure and Embarrassment.
What great gifts!
They're like flashing neon signs to me that there are some assumptions I've been leaning on
That no longer stand up.

When you have an Assumption that you blithely treat as Fact,
Then you're headed for possibly serious trouble.
Become aware,
And be grateful for times when life reminds you
That you're standing on an assumption as if it were gospel truth.

(Do you want the gospel truth?
Are you sure? This is the cosmic joke.
OK. Here it is.....
There is no such thing as The Truth.
Pop that in your pipe and smoke it.)

I've found it impossible to avoid making assumptions,
So I've surrendered to that
And I now create them quite deliberately.
Assumptions, I've found, can take us to some very interesting places
And can be very creative , and even transforming.
It's important for freedom, however,
To continually examine them,
And discard them
Once we've seen all that what we wanted to see from that place.
Move on.

Can any of us live life without assumptions?
I doubt it.
But, if possible, they should never be the same assumptions
From one day to the next.
How good would it be if,
At the end of each day,
We could deliberately empty the Recycle Bin,
And wake up each new day,
Devoid of yesterday's leftovers --
Absolutely afresh?

I'm going to try that for the next 21 days.