The Good Idea/Opinions

Good morning my friends….

This is the day of new beginnings. (Again.) School is in full swing and the routines have started. I’m looking forward to this because it gives us structure and I believe that structure works so well for many of us.

George and I had an interesting conversation a couple of days ago and I wanted to share it with you. We discussed people’s opinions and when they voiced those opinions.

It is so true that all people have opinions of one kind or another. Some have more opinions than others. Some have no problem in giving you their opinion. How many of us have asked….if only to ourselves…"If I wanted your opinion; I would have asked for it."

Some of us speak out of turn. Some of us speak and give our opinions before all of the facts are known. Some people give life changing opinions before they have the whole story.

Some opinions are formed out of a person’s own experiences. Not so much what another person is doing or wanting but out of their own good or bad experiences. We can put our successes or failures on another just by what has happened to us.

I remember what I heard long ago when I found myself looking for a new job because of my company’s current lay-offs…. I asked the opinion of my friend about a possible job…she told me not to try; her son didn’t get in so why should I? That was her opinion.

She based that off of her experience instead of what I may have had to offer. We are so quick sometimes to give our opinions to others before we take into account everything at hand. So what to do?

Is not giving our opinions the best route to take? Maybe so. Are we being asked for our opinion or are we just giving without thinking? We better make sure that the recipients of these thoughts are welcoming us.

Too many times we speak before we have all of the facts. Before we are given permission. Just because it happened to us doesn’t mean that it will happen to someone else. Be careful what we say and how we encourage or discourage someone. It may not be our right to do so.

By the way, I got the job that my friend’s son did not. I did not listen to her opinion and I followed my own heart. I believed and listened and found out that other’s opinions are not always the best for me. The same goes for you….you have to “JustAsk”. Your own answers will come.

And if you are going to give your opinion, please have all of the facts first - without the facts you may be giving out wrong information.

For a lot of us; listening is very difficult. We are eager and ready to help out. I suggest that we slow down, listen, maybe not even talk…just listen. If more of us did that what a difference that would make. Sometimes we are not the smartest people in the room. Nancy (www.justaskbooks.com)