Together in Florida, my daughter and I decided to watch a DVD. We selected The Imitation Game, of which I knew nothing about.

First I had asked my daughter to tell me the movie's story line, then changed my mind: "No, wait. I don't want to know." I decided instead to surprise myself. With zero information about the flick, I would set up zero expectations and see
how I enjoyed it. 

To walk into a movie - or any other situation - without a preconceived notion, without anyone's words or judgments clouding our opinions, we can decide to merely watch, participate and allow the experience to be.

Hmmmm, and don't you know, the movie was FANTASTIC! It thoroughly engrossed me from beginning to end. I was pleasantly surprised.

Have you done that? Walked into a situation carrying so-called "knowledge" (usually a prejudgment you have made or an opinion provided by someone else) about a thing, a place, a product, or a person? And what happened? It most certainly clouded the experience, is that right? You are expecting to receive what that person received, or expecting what you told yourself would happen.

Yet, your experience most likely will be different from any other person's experience.

Or, have you ever done the opposite? Walked into a situation without knowledge of it, no judgment, no preconceived expectation, no information, no opinion. And ... what happened?

I once had a very good and motivational boss who was not well liked by the staff where we worked. I learned greatly from this person and even considered him a mentor at the time. Yet consistently, I kept hearing others in the office whine about their experiences with him - which didn't match mine. That is because I had chosen to have MY OWN experience of boss-employee relationship, instead of living out another person's.