Our lives are filled with assumptions, often based on other people’s experiences. However, this mechanism can create a deceptive reality for us. Our expectations shape our experiences and outcomes.
It’s common to assume the worst outcome without realizing that this mindset alters our reality. Have you ever wondered why things aren’t going well or why life seems so difficult? Could it be because that’s what you expect?
When asked about my field of study during my college years, I received comments suggesting that finding a job would be challenging nine times out of ten.
There was an incident that required me to resolve some parking tickets in court. The judge asked me personal questions about my life, and when I shared that I had a daughter and majored in fashion design, he proceeded to lecture me about my career choice. According to him, I needed a more reliable career, and he believed fashion design was not suitable given my age (I was around 25 at the time).
In this example, an authority figure gave me unsolicited advice, and due to their position, it didn’t take much for my subconscious mind to accept their statements as true. Without any evidence, my mind turned those assumptions into facts. But what evidence did this individual have to make such a statement? And why do we unquestioningly accept negative comments?
Fast forward to after my graduation, I was hired within the first two months. Of course, I waited until after graduation and a vacation to apply, so it took two months.
This may only be the case for some. I know friends who studied in promising fields but were less fortunate to find employment. Moreover, my career proved to be essential during the Covid-19 pandemic. Designers were tasked with making face masks and PPE equipment for doctors, nurses, and essential workers.
However, our careers only represent a small portion of the assumptions and opinions we turn into facts. We allow others to influence all aspects of our lives, adopting their experiences without realizing that we interact with the world differently.
The problem with this way of thinking is that it diminishes our autonomy. We become dependent on the already established system rather than independent individuals. We lose our uniqueness, forgetting that it is through our individuality that we can contribute something new to this world.
It is imperative that we break free from this erroneous way of thinking and allow ourselves to experience life through our own filter.
