Interpretations and Assumptions
Posted on July 06, 2015 by Marge Everett, One of Thousands of Career Coaches on Noomii.
Interpretations and Assumptions are a category of mind chatter that keeps us from achieving our goals.
Negative mind chatter is a broad category of obstacles that keep us from achieving our goals. Holding a prominent position in this category are Interpretations and Assumptions. The key characteristic of Interpretations and Assumptions is that they are not real – we do not see, hear, sense, feel, or notice them. They exist only in our imagination. They can lead to wasting time and energy responding to an imagined reality.
Examples are numerous. A typical one is the lack of response: You did not get the response you were expecting from a friend, a business acquaintance, client or potential employer. You interpret this as non-interest, rejection, failure, anger, etc. and assume that the reason for the response (or lack of response) lies in your behavior, lack of behavior, communication, qualification, etc. You may experience a downward spiral of negative emotions and invest energy in constructing alternative responses. The reality may have nothing to do with you. Numerous variations of circumstance could prevent the other party from responding as you expect, or in a timely manner (according to your time table, of course).
All communication has two parts – a sender and a receiver. Interpretations exist in the void between these two parts. When a response is not received or the response is not clear, the door is open for interpretations to thrive. Avoid this form of negative mind chatter by asking yourself what is real. If you can’t answer this question, your next step is clear. Seek clarity or move on.
