Module 1

Handout 7: The Power of Assumptions*

Here are some things to think about after the training.

• Assumptions are necessary for everyday life. We assume the sun will rise tomorrow morning. It is natural to make assumptions.
  
  
• Assumptions we make about other people become the mirror we hold, the mirror for others to see themselves in. Over time, the same reflection in the mirror becomes a person's self-portrait.
  
  
• "The mirror" is made of our voice and actions: how we talk, interact, and move our bodies.
  
  
• When you find yourself in a difficult moment with a child, a coworker, a family member, or yourself:
  
  

  	take a breath
  	assume that you are a capable person
  	assume the other person is capable
  	assume the problem can change

  
  
  
  
  *Adapted with permission from R. Burns-Hoffman. 1996. Immokalee, FL: Redlands Christian Migrant Association.