This is my newest anthem: “I don’t have all the information here.”
Telling myself this is super-helpful in SO many situations.
When I’m feeling anxious.
When I’m feeling critical.
When I’m feeling judgy or judged.
When I’m asking myself “what if …. ?”
When I’m feeling scared.
When I’m playing the comparison game.
Why do we assume the worst of people and of situations? (hello catastrophizing! ) Has it always been like this? Does it come from a place of fear or some unresolved, unrecognized issue in our own lives? How do we get it to stop?
I think this is one way: “I don’t have all the information here.” I can’t know it all. It’s just not possible to understand all the facets of a situation, and what is inside someone’s else’s head, and all the influencing factors, and the other forces at play. Life has layers. It’s complicated sometimes. “I don’t have all the information here” keeps me curious. This statement kicks off a fact-finding mission because surely there’s an explanation other than the one I’m piecing together, a conclusion other than the one I’m jumping to (insert Office Space reference). “I don’t have all the information here” may even lead to a conversation with a person, and ultimately, empathy and connection.
I know that an uninformed preconceived notion (read ‘my own dang ignorance’) only serves to harden my heart. I don’t want to be a hard-heart. I want to be a better thinker and feeler. I want to be selfless and open. This is one way I’m trying to get there : “I don’t have all the information here.”
Maybe you could try this today too?
