Hi folks, I hope you’re having a good Tuesday. Mine is slow and dull, but that’s ok. I’ll take it. Usually my life is quite complex and I know this won’t last. I intend to enjoy it as long as possible.

Today I’d like to reflect on something that’s been rattling around in my brain for a few days. I think that the most dangerous mistake we make in life is assumptions. Not mistakes, but assuming that we know what’s going to happen when in fact, there are no guarantees in life. We make assumptions for a number of reasons, but mainly I think we do it to try to keep a line of control on a chaotic universe. We beleive that if we can correctly determine what might happen, then we can make plans to work it to our advantage. While I’m all for planning and taking precautions, I believe we go way too far with it and start grabbing for control in areas we shouldn't even concerns ourselves with.

Assumptions are dangerous for a number of reasons. Number one is that they cause an inordinate amount of worry. I once read that a study was done years ago and they found that 90% of the worries people reported never came to pass. Why? They made incorrect assumptions about the future. Imagine using 90% of your mental energy fretting over things that never happen. To me, that seems a terrible and inexcusable waste of time, effort, and energy. Imagine what you could do with that energy if you didn't use it to worry. The stories you could create, the new things you could learn, the ways your life could be full of new experiences and wonder ...

Another reason that assumptions are dangerous is because they can be wrong. Yes, human beings tend to fall into patterns of behavior, actions, and reactions – but these aren’t 100% soundproof. Furthermore, we don’t always interpret these patterns correctly. Let me give you an example:

Many years ago, one of my friends got pregnant. When she sheepishly told me she was expecting, she said she was very surprised that I was happy for her. She said she had been afraid of telling me because she feared my reaction. I asked her, why? What have I ever said or done that made her believe I wouldn’t be happy for her? She couldn’t tell me. She just shrugged and mumbled “I don’t know” a lot.

I found out the next day that she made her big announcement to another mutual friend two weeks earlier. This person didn’t react well and was very critical. In fact, she was downright rude about it. My friend didn’t tell anybody else she was expecting after that incident until she saw me. She made a faulty assumption that everybody was going to knock her down, so she didn’t want to tell anybody else until she felt she had to. And, of course, it made me angry that she made the assumption that I was as shallow and insensitive as that other person. In the end I was still happy for her, but I decided that she was flakier than I realized.

Which brings me to a third reason why assumptions are dangerous. When they're wrong, they cause trouble. Things don't go right, people get angry, and it all falls apart for no reason other than you were wrong. Why make more trouble for yourself? Doesn't life have enough chaos without creating more drama in it?

See why assumptions are dangerous? I’m all for planning in advance. Heck, I have retirement accounts, a will, and insurance. I keep my finances balanced and check them regularly. I have two firesafe boxes for important documents and items, and I back up my computer files to an external hard drive AND a flash drive (I store the external hard drive INSIDE one of those firesafe boxes). But I think we sometimes take it too far in an effort to maintain control. The bottom line is that nothing’s certain. You do what you can to prepare for the big things. It’s best to let the little things go. Save your worry for planning for your financial future, not over whether your nutty cousin will make a scene at Thanksgiving Dinner. If you’ve taken sensible precautions and made reasonable plans for the big things on the horizon, there’s no reason why you can’t relax and enjoy today.

Ok, that’s my soapbox speech for today. I hope you have a good day and I’ll see you later. I promise a lighter and more fun entry tomorrow.

Bye!