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“We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” ~ Anaïs Nin

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Sometimes the universe uses simple moments to wake us up.

For me, it happened one night in a quiet parking lot outside a little Chinese restaurant.

As my friend and I pulled up to get our takeout order, the restaurant looked completely dark.

“It’s closed,” she said. “They took advantage of us. It’s a scam.”

I didn’t feel that way.

“Wait. Let’s look for ourselves. See if they’re open. Maybe your hunch is wrong.”

When we reached the door, it opened, and the smiling owner handed us our warm containers of food.

That moment lingered in my mind. Metaphorically, it felt like a reminder of how often we decide something is “closed” before even trying the door.

How many times do we let quick assumptions shut down our curiosity, our compassion, and our ability to see the truth?

Most of us carry stories in our heads. Even though they may seem small and harmless, they shape how we move through the world.

Our assumptions come from upbringing, cultural patterns, life experiences, fears, and the endless fragments of information we absorb without questioning them.

Sometimes they’re also rooted in our impatience. We want instant clarity, an easy label, and a quick answer.

We might assume:

>> The quiet person in the meeting has nothing to say.

>> The teen with tattoos is rebellious.

>> The elegant woman with perfect hair must have an easy life.

>> The man with an accent is less intelligent.

>> The person wearing a hijab is “different.”

>> The person who supports a political figure we don’t like must be wrong and a bad person.

Each assumption builds invisible walls that block our ability to truly see one another.

Turn on the news, scroll through social media, or walk into a family gathering, and you can feel the tension humming beneath the surface.

Labels like “MAGA,” “liberal,” “radical,” or “fascist” have become shorthand for entire stories we invent about strangers.

We’ve stopped seeing people as people and started seeing them as categories.

When we think about it more deeply, most of us want the same things: safety, freedom, love, connection, justice, and to be seen, heard, and understood.

When we fill our world with assumptions, we close the door on meaningful connection, but when we pause, breathe, and notice our thoughts and feelings, our mind quiets and our heart remembers how to listen.

For me, questioning assumptions has become part of my spiritual practice. It shows up in my teaching, my writing, my music, and in my daily effort to live from compassion, empathy, and love instead of impulse or judgment.

Peace isn’t passive. It’s a verb and an active choice to stay open even when the world is divided.

When I can look at someone and whisper inwardly, “There’s more to you than the story in my head or the story you’re telling me,” I feel hopeful that our collective healing is still possible.

Think of a recent assumption you made:

>> Did you assume a place was closed before you tried the door?

>> Did you assume someone’s vote, voice, or values made them unworthy of respect?

>> Did you believe a headline before checking its source?

Now ask yourself:

>> What story did I tell myself?

>> Where did it come from?

>> What did I miss?

Every time we notice an assumption and choose a “beginner’s mind,” we reclaim the ability to think clearly, love deeply, and see others with compassion.

The world doesn’t need more noise. It needs awakened hearts that are willing to listen beyond slogans, name-calling, and assumptions.

We need to see, hear, and feel things differently.

>> Maybe the restaurant isn’t closed.

>> Maybe the person you’ve dismissed carries a light you can’t yet see.

>> Maybe the story you’ve believed is only the shadow of the truth.

Every assumption and story we question is an invitation to step into a bigger, kinder, and more luminous world.

Imagine treating every person, every place, and every moment as a door waiting to be opened, and then imagine the curiosity, the connection, and the unexpected joy that could flood your life.

You don’t have to be perfect. You only have to be willing. Willing to notice your assumptions. Willing to breathe. Willing to look, to listen, and to see everyone and everything with fresh eyes.

In these moments, the world softens, hearts open, and the walls we’ve built quietly begin to crumble. Love, understanding, and empathy, the very things we thought were scarce, soon become abundant.

Let this be your invitation today: step beyond your assumptions and open the doors you thought were closed.

Lean into the people, stories, and truths waiting patiently for your recognition. Every open heart, every compassionate pause, and every choice to see more clearly will ripple outward.

The world will become brighter and just a little more whole, and one day, when we look back, we may see that the moments when we chose curiosity over judgment were the moments that changed everything.

“Prejudice is a burden that confuses the past, threatens the future, and renders the present inaccessible.” ~ Maya Angelou

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