Are Assumptions Holding You Back? A Motivational Story

“Assumptions are dangerous things to make, and like all dangerous things to make -- bombs, for instance, or strawberry shortcake -- if you make even the tiniest mistake you can find yourself in terrible trouble.” Lemony Snicket, The Austere Academy

I was teaching my daughter to drive. 🚙

She’s behind the wheel, I’m in the passenger seat.

It’s her first day driving on a main road.

There are three sets of traffic lights ahead.

The first traffic light turns red. She leaves it to the last moment to brake. The car lurches to a stop.

I say, ‘When you see the brake lights appearing on the cars ahead that’s your cue to get ready to slow down too.’ OK, Dad.

The second traffic light turns red, my daughter brakes late again and we lurch to a stop.

I say, ‘ Remember the brake lights appearing on the cars ahead is your cue to get ready to slow down too.’ OK, Dad.

The third traffic lights go red, she brakes late and we lurch to a stop and I lose it. ‘What don’t you understand? When you see the brake lights on the cars ahead, you slow down too!’

She said ‘Dad what are brake lights?’

Huh? When I had picked my jaw up off the floor and thought it through it made sense. Up until now, my daughter’s experience of driving was from the back seat, lost in girl talk with friends or head buried in a book or glued to a screen. What happened outside the car was of no interest.

That was on me. I assumed wrong.

Are you stuck up against a problem that won’t budge?

Could you be the problem?

Ask yourself…

Do I suffer the Curse of Knowledge? When the task is easy for you it becomes hard to imagine anyone would struggle to do it. I mean everyone knows this stuff, right? You’ve forgotten what it’s like to be a beginner.

What are my blind Havespots? Everyone has them. You’ll never see them. Get help. Ask a trusted friend. Consider why swimming and tennis greats have coaches. It’s not weak, it’s smart.

Remember, you can’t remain the same and expect your life to be different.

If you want a better future then what are you going to change?

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Got a good assumption story to share? Please do.

#change #assumptions #motivationalspeaker

POSTSCRIPT

Back in the car... my daughter started crying.

She says, ‘I’m going to tell Mum.’

I plead, ‘please please please don’t tell your mother.’ She did.

That was 15 years ago and my wife still brings this up.

It usually starts, ‘Talk about insensitive…’