There are so many sides to any story. I can at least name three – your version, the other person’s version and the truth.

In any situation, there are factors that you may not know or understand. And oftentimes what trips us up is making assumptions. We just fill in the gaps to make sense of things as we see them. Filling our minds with our own version of how we see things which, may have nothing to do with the actual truth.

When we make assumptions and are locked on to our own version, we become closed to other perspectives.

This can be made a little more difficult to break through since neuroscience studies have shown that the one thing our brains are great at is proving us right‼️ It’s called the reticular activating system which basically means that once we have something in mind, our brains have a way of showing us more of that.

So, what happens is, we find more and more information to prove our point “right” by becoming selective in one we see. At the same time, more and more closed to other possiblities.

This kind of thinking can keep us a prisoner in our own minds, especially if the version of the story that we are locked in to is not a positive one.

The key to breaking free of this fixed way of thinkng, is by asking yourself questions. Instead of believing every assumption or thought that pops into your mind wholesale, why not start by simply asking: Is this true? Do I know this to be true without a shadow of doubt? Now if you can’t be sure that it is true, then you have an opening to ask more questions, to seek out other perspectives, even find the actual turth.

As you practice this, with curiousity, you will find that your perspectives eventually will change. And you will be open to seeing more than one perspective in any situation. This openess of your mind will influence everything because of the reticular activating system. It will influence how you think about and what you feel about different situations. It may likely allow you to change the way you think and feel about old situations and even break free of old patterns. Breaking down the prison and giving you a passport to freedom instead.

So, the next time you feel things closing in and you’re getting tunnel vision. Check in on your perspective, is there room to be more open, to see other sides of the story?