My bathroom mirror decided to commit suicide today. I know: weird way to start a post, but there is was, lying on the floor, shattered to pieces when we got home this afternoon. Apparently it had decided that it had seen my face one too many times. Had to happen eventually…
But in all seriousness, it made me think about assumptions, like the assumption that the double-sided tape is going to last as long as the objects it was used to stick to each other. We assume that our friends care enough for us to cause themselves discomfort on our behalf. We assume that we will receive our salary cheque at the end of the month. We assume that the sun will rise tomorrow morning and that our homes will still be there when we return from holiday (though, if you live in SA the latter assumption does not necessarily apply to the contents of your home – indeed, it’s usually a pleasant surprise to come home and find everything’s still there).
The vast majority of choices we make every day are based on assumptions. We make those decisions with certainty because we “know” our assumptions to be true. But the fact is, most assumptions are not true. In reality, there are very few things in life we can be certain about without experiencing it ourselves. And those things are usually also only certain at the moment we experience them; there’s no guarantee that our next experience of the same thing will necessarily be the same.
So, stop making so many assumptions and stop taking so many things for granted. Thank your boss that your salary was paid into your account at the end of the month. (I know, it sounds silly, and he’ll probably look at you as if you’re totally bonkers, but don’t underestimate the power of a little bit of gratitude.) Be the best friend you can possibly be to your friends and don’t assume they’ll do the same. Be the best anyway. Be happy about the fact that your car’s bearings did not fall out while doing 120km/h on your way home from the weekend and be pleasantly surprised that not only everything in your home, but even your home itself is still where you left it.
And say a prayer of thanks that the double-sided tape holding your bathroom mirror to the medicine cabinet is still doing its job and that you won’t need to shave blind tomorrow morning…
if all else fails...use a hammer 