I need to work on this a lot. Last year at work we added the statement “Assume Positive Intentions” to our staff covenant, and it’s been very powerful for me in the workplace. Now I need to transfer it better into my personal life, including to some relationships where I have trust issues. Tonight I was assuming that she was excluding me from an activity and that she is trying to be sneaky with a mutual friend behind my back. Not the case. I called her back, and she invited me to the activity without me saying anything, and then I brought up our mutual friend so that it was out in the open. I always have a paranoia that people are talking about me. Well, you know what? That’s because I talk about people. So. That’s not really about assume positive intentions. I just need to get over it and assume that she is doing good things. If, however, in that context, I’m proven wrong, I will need to rethink my strategy and maybe distance myself for my own sanity.