AssUMe...

You've probably heard the line "Your know what happens when you assume something...you make an ass of U and me." Well, in the case of (CBT) cognitive behavioral therapy, NLP (neurolinguistic programming) and other life coaching circles certain assumptions can help you become unconditionally accepting of yourself and other people. With unconditional acceptance, no judgments, you can create relationships built on trust. Let's face it, without trust there is no relationship of any worth. So without further ado, here are a few foundational assumptions to make to make the absolute most of your relationships. Relationships with others and will yourself.

1- There are no bad intentions. Another way to say it is to always assume good intent. So for example, no one naturally wakes up in the morning wanting to cut you off resulting in road rage. If you naturally assume good intent then you can appreciate that the guy cut you off because he was getting his pregnant wife to the hospital to deliver their first child, not that he is a vindictive A hole that came after you for spite. But you don't really know if the guy was taking his wife or not, but see how your perspective can shift when you assume good intent?

2- The past does not equal the future. Just because something happened to you or you did something in the past, it doesn't have to carry with you to the future. Because we experienced it in the past, we project those feelings into the future and from this incorrect projection come the feelings of fear and anxiety. You will always be expecting the worst if the worst has been always been a part of your past. The truth is those actions or inactions do not define you. You have the choice to reinvent yourself each and every moment of everyday. The choice is yours and it is a choice you get to make.

3. No one is broken. No one is broken therefore no one needs to be fixed. We may just be headed in the wrong direction and need a course correction or a better strategy to accomplish your wishes to improve your life.

4.Everything is possible. (or as Marie Forleo says "everything is figureoutable"). Once you truly accept there is nothing you can't figure out, the sky's the limit! Now, this doesn't mean you get it thrown into your lap. You will have to hustle and dig and preserve because it will take time to get it but it can be done. It is not impossible.

5. Empowerment comes via responsibility. Once you figure out what makes you tick, you become empowered to make better decisions concerning your life and the strategies you create to accomplish anything you desire or don't desire for your life. The secret sauce to empowerment happens when we take full responsibility for our thoughts. Because our thoughts lead to our emotions which then lead to our actions and outcomes from those actions. If you are aware and responsible for each of these steps you are empowered.

These are just a few presuppositions. If you think about these concerning yourself and those you interact with how can your relationship with yourself and others improve coming from a place of trust?

Talk amongst yourselves 😉