Today’s Mandala Message: Ask Questions
This week I’m working through Principle #52 “When In Doubt, Check It Out”. I set my intention today to ponder asking more questions. From an article by Catherine Winter on AConsciousRethink.com about assumptions, she states: “We can never know what other people are thinking or feeling unless we have the courtesy to ask them. In fact, 99.9% of the time, what we assume that another person is thinking or feeling is usually dead wrong, if not the complete opposite of what’s actually going on inside them. … If you would prefer someone to ask you what’s going on in your heart and mind instead of assuming and accusing you, then grant them that same courtesy.” She offers 8 ways to help us stop making assumptions. Number 1 was: “Ask”
In high school I was a member of the Future Teachers of America club. My job was to sign up speakers and introduce them at our monthly meetings. At one of those meetings, I introduced our speaker and also added that “and I see he brought his daughter with him”. Turns out it wasn’t his daughter it was his wife. AWKWARD!!! I was sooooo embarrassed. I had ASSUMED that because she looked so much younger than he did, that it was his daughter. Had I just taken the time to ask ahead of time who he brought with him, I would have learned that it was his wife…and would have saved us all from the humiliation.
A good mindfulness practice would be to consider asking questions instead of assuming.
So how about you? Do you tend to ask questions rather than making assumptions? Are you comfortable asking questions? If not, what fears or limiting beliefs keep you from asking?
“Remember,
— Robin S. Sharma
we see the world
not as it is but as we are.
Most of us see through the eyes
of our fears
and our limiting beliefs
and our false assumptions.”
Blessings,
Maureen
The Mandala Lady
All Things Mandalas
An Invitation
I invite you to color along with me this year as part of what I’m calling “The Year of Self-Exploration and Expansion” with all of my “Mandalas of the ___” (day, week, month, year). If you’re interested in more of a self-exploration approach to coloring, check out my “Coloring Mandalas as Meditation”. You can download this mandala at MandalaoftheWeek.com.
Mandala of the Day 