A Chocolate Lesson

I learned recently that something in my life wasn't as it had seemed. The discovery reminded me that it's beneficial to always be curious in personal and career contexts. It's good to always be humble and seek to understand. Making assumptions with our limited perceptions can limit our level of joy and success. It's especially important to explore your conscious and unconscious blindspots... even in low stakes matters like dessert preference.

What part of your life or career are limited by your lack of curiosity and honest inquiry?

For background... I'm a late bloomer when it comes to the finer things in the food world. My wife and partner of eight years Amanda, on the other hand, is culinarily advanced. Though we don't try to make our partnership roles too concrete, we'd both say that she cooks well and I eat and clean up well. ??

More background... I've always loved milk chocolate. I don't like dark chocolate much at all. My perception of milk chocolate has always been beneath the fancy dark chocolates available here in our world renowned San Francisco Bay food scene. In other words, it's more my speed than my partner's. Since I've always assumed that no foodies worth their salt [like Amanda] would buy milk chocolate, I've always filled our refrigerator chocolate shelf with dark chocolate. I've taken one for the team and choked it down most evenings for eight years...

Last week, something incredible happened.

Amanda asked me casually one evening if, "I'd ever consider buying milk chocolate"? The record [or the Alexa music playing] stopped. Wait... What?!? For eight years I'd assumed she liked only dark chocolate and she'd assumed I only liked dark chocolate since it's all I ever purchased. I energetically replied that of course I'd more than consider it! We then discussed how much we both preferred it and that my culinary and family dessert preference assumptions had been wrong all along. The aha moment, though trivial, stopped me in my tracks. What else have I been missing out on by not asking, exploring, or surpassing assumption?

Our work now is to pause more... to get curious with one another about other assumptions and blindspot areas. I'm excited to ask her and my business partners and clients more questions and unlock even more joy and value in my life at home and work.

Let's all stop making assumptions, ask more questions and in turn live and work happier. Especially since the world and most of us are enduring things MUCH more pressing than chocolate choice.

Where are you making assumptions?

Where are your blindspots?

What questions should you ask today?