A Message That Bears Repeating

Watch what you’re making up; that’s right, this is in fact the message that I’m wanting to drive home today.  I’ve done a post about this in the past, but this week I seem to be confronted on a number of fronts with the reminder that as human beings, we’re making stuff up all the time AND we’re rarely aware of it.  Yes, this does include me as well, from time to time.  And what I mean by that is, I’m more aware than most, just because I’ve researched this — and I still lose my awareness from time to time.

You see, most of the conclusions that you draw, most statements that you make as the gospel truth, are in fact products of your own creation. And so, while you might very well believe that Mary Jo is a wishy-washy, indecisive woman who can’t honour a commitment to save her life, this is not necessarily fact.  It is a statement based on your experience, nothing more.

Why is this so important to understand?  Because, when you get that you’re usually makig stuff up, you can open yourself to other possibilities and thereby expand your range of options.  What if Mary Jo isn’t indecisive so much as uncertain about this particular project?  What if she actually makes decisions with vim and vigour more often than you’ve realized?  What becomes possible for your relationship with this woman then?

Obviously, this is just an example.  But I bring this whole issue forward because I’m noticing so many people holding themselves back based on supposed “facts”, when these are in actuality nothing more than conclusions that may or may not be accurate.

So, here’s my challenge to you (and to me):  every time you hear yourself uttering a fact, (often preceded by statements such as “the reality is”), ask yourself what else might be true. Explore your options.  Play with possibility.  In other words, if you want to stand in possibility, then actually stand in possibility and don’t limit yourself by supposed reality.  That’s my position for today.