| Desiring a quick snack after work the other day, I | | | | Our minds are masters of assumption. More often |
| grabbed a bag of Wasabi Peas and popped a | | | | than not, those assumptions are wrong. And far |
| handful into my mouth anticipating the little blast | | | | too often, we accept them without question. It |
| of Wah that comes with them. As I reached for | | | | would not have made much difference in my life |
| the second handful, I happened to notice the | | | | if I had accepted that wasabi peas have a |
| expiration date on the bag. It read, "Best by, | | | | 1000-year shelf life. But it certainly would have |
| 093006." My mind immediately interpreted those | | | | affected me if I had chosen not to question my |
| numbers to mean, the month September in the | | | | mind's assumption about that potential client. If left |
| year 3006! And I thought, really I did, "Wow, | | | | unquestioned, that perception would have fed |
| that's a shelf life of over 1000 years!" | | | | directly into my sense of self-worth, ultimately |
| It only took about 3-seconds for me to recognize | | | | contributing to an internal devaluation. |
| the impossibility of that perception. But for those | | | | One faulty perception will not cause great harm, |
| three seconds, my reality reflected the belief that | | | | but when multiple, erroneous perceptions are left |
| wasabi peas - or at least this bag of them - could | | | | unquestioned, the effect on your life can be |
| last for 1000 years. By about the 5th second I | | | | dramatic. |
| had, accurately this time I think, reinterpreted the | | | | Can you think of times in your life when your |
| numbers to mean September 30th, 2006. | | | | mind has misinterpreted a situation? Perhaps |
| It was a simple mistake, a trick of perception, | | | | someone said something that, without clarification, |
| you might say. And the expiration date of wasabi | | | | could have been taken in any number of ways. |
| peas is obviously not a big deal. But what is | | | | Perhaps your manager made a comment that |
| important is that it got me to pay attention to | | | | caused you to think she was disappointed in your |
| the ways in which my mind interprets, and often | | | | work. |
| misinterprets the world around me. | | | | What I want you to do, for the next few days, is |
| I began to wonder how often my perceptions are | | | | to question as many perceptions as possible. From |
| faulty, and how often those perceptions remain | | | | the obvious to the hidden, observe and |
| unquestioned? | | | | reevaluate the assumptions of your mind that too |
| Here's another example. I was recently referred | | | | often are taken for granted. |
| to a prospective client whom I called to chat with | | | | When you see a car and perceive it as such, |
| and set up an initial coaching session. She | | | | question it. "Is that really a car?" When you catch |
| answered the phone and I introduced myself and | | | | someone giving you a "look" and find yourself |
| told her why I was calling. When she replied, I | | | | wondering, "what did I do wrong?" question the |
| could immediately tell that something was wrong. | | | | way you have perceived that look. |
| My mind, helpful as ever, and without any | | | | Some of your perceptions will true - that car |
| corroborating evidence, immediately concluded | | | | probably will end up being a car - others you will |
| that she did not want to work with me as a | | | | recognize as obviously false, and some will require |
| coach, and that, in fact, she was downright | | | | additional input, perhaps from another person. The |
| distraught that I had even called her. | | | | point is not whether the perceptions are true or |
| Fortunately, I've learned not to trust these | | | | false. The point is to begin questioning the |
| assumptions of my mind, and so I jumped right in | | | | often-unquestioned assumptions of your mind. |
| and asked her if anything was wrong. She told | | | | Your mind can be a wonderful servant, but a |
| me that a good friend had passed away two | | | | pretty poor master. By questioning its perceptions |
| days earlier. | | | | and assumptions you immediately begin to shift |
| I could feel my mind slinking away into the corner | | | | the balance of power away from your mind and |
| like a cartoon character trying to avoid being | | | | back towards your essential nature. |
| noticed after doing something really stupid. | | | | |