Why do our chickens hate me?

Do you ever make immediate assumptions?  Often based on very little information?  

Such as...“Why do our chickens hate me?” which was my immediate reaction to my destroyed flowers. 

Matt (the chicken whisperer) said he would talk to them… 

They explained...The flowers to them are kind of like peanut butter M&Ms to me.  

Oooohhh….I get it now.  

I can’t imagine a huge pot of peanut butter M&Ms just sitting there taunting me. 

How could they possibly have the discipline to resist a planterful of snapdragons?  Chickens’ peanut butter M&M equivalent?

It occurred to me how often I forget to simply ask people’s (or chickens’) reasoning without making assumptions.  

How about you?

Ever make assumptions like these?

“Oh, he’s mad.  He was short with me on the phone.” “Veronica didn’t return my call.  She must be irritated that I couldn’t go to the party.” 

“She hardly said a word.  She must not like me.”

Nope, nope & nope.

He actually just came out of a bad meeting.

Veronica’s 3 year-old deleted your voice-mail.  She never heard it.

She doesn’t talk much in general.  It doesn’t mean she dislikes you at all.

Assumptions & generalizations are broad & often unhelpful. 

I try to remind myself of this when unhelpful thoughts start swirling through my head & ask myself, “Do I have proof this is true?  Or am I assuming based upon MY own experiences & assumptions?”

Usually, we don’t know.  Until we further investigate the specific individual & the specific circumstances.  

Because that’s where the REAL story lies.