It is election campaigning time here in Australia at the moment and everyone I speak to already seems to have an opinion on which party they want to vote for. But even if they haven’t made up their minds yet, they still have an opinion on the issues that matter or don’t matter to them.
Having an opinion is something we all do. We form our opinions based on the information or data we’ve been exposed to, the values that we’ve been brought up with, our past experiences, and the beliefs we hold. So, given the fact that we’ve all had different upbringings, we’ve mixed with different sorts of people, we’ve all had different experiences, and we pay attention to different media sources, well, it stands to reason that we will hold different opinions on political, economic and social matters.
I remember working with a guy who used to say: “You can ask me anything. I have an opinion on everything.” And he did! He was one of the most entertaining guys I’ve ever worked with. Really smart. Really energetic. And really opinionated. And that was great. It was refreshing to hear his different viewpoints on anything and everything.
And unlike most people, he didn’t hold back his opinions in order to try and fit in, nor did he try and convince other people to adopt his opinions as their own.
Looking back, I see that I was in what I call a safe environment in which different opinions could be expressed. We didn’t all have to agree or disagree. We could all still hold our own views.
It’s a shame that the same sort of safe environment isn’t available to us all in our everyday lives.
How often do we find ourselves besieged with different opinions or even criticism and ridicule when we step outside of what is expected of us?
A change in career. A change in relationships. A change in location. If we want to do any of these, just how quickly will people give us their opinions on what we should and shouldn’t do!
But what we have to remember is that an opinion is simply that. It’s an opinion. It’s not a fact.
Something to remember – particularly at times when you feel that you are being discouraged to pursue your own dreams – is that someone else’s opinion is based on their own history, experiences, values, beliefs, understanding and dreams. Your history, experiences, values, beliefs, and understanding are unique to you. Your dreams and desires are yours. What someone else thinks about your dreams and desires is simply their own opinion. And the good news is that you don’t have to agree with or follow other people’s opinions. They are entitled to their opinion but that doesn’t mean that you have to adopt it as yours.
It’s your opinion on your dreams and desires that count. Not someone else’s. So, when you hold a desire close to your heart and you want to create change in your life, don’t let the opinions of others get in the way. It’s your life. You can create it and live it in the way that you want.
