Opinions - What they are and why they matter!

Opinions are truly just that - opinions ???♀????♀?

They are not the final decisions and most definitely not “the truth” that one can swear by! Opinions are fleeting in nature and keep changing due to time, place, environment and other contextual, socio-economical, and psychological factors. Therefore they should be looked upon as varied viewpoints based on judgments and not taken to heart.

When we pay heed to the opinions more than they are worth, we face these issues ????

??Low self-confidence. When others start opining on our actions, words and intentions; we invariably start judging our own capabilities and start feeling less confident.

??Indecisiveness. Once our confidence is shaken, we start questioning every single move and action of ours. We let self-doubt creep in and move us into analysis paralysis and inaction. We start doubting ourselves.

??Lack of initiative. Due to the opinions we receive (solicited or unsolicited), we tend to fear taking on new initiatives or exploring new ideas. We do not want those ideas to get rejected and our ego to get hurt. Therefore, we start piggybacking on someone else’s ideas rather than initiating our own. 

All the above traits have one common denominator. Repetitive opinions & commentary instill FEAR

Fear restricts our actions, harms our creativity and hurts our morale. And if that fear is not addressed and resolved with urgency, it creates a mental, physical and psychological discomfort that eventually cause some severe long term implications. 

Below are three tips to stay away from being a “football” of other people’s opinions ????

??Self-awareness. Knowing who we are and what our innate strengths and weaknesses are, helps us be true to what we can do and how much effort we need to put in to be where we want to be. Other people’s opinions do not bother us when we are aware of our true self.

 ??Sense of responsibility and ownership. When one takes full responsibility of their actions as well as inactions, they do not get bothered by other people’s opinions. That is because they are fully conscious of the fact that they gave it their best shot and take full ownership of the outcome. They are aware there is a lot to learn, but they know that in this time and moment, we have given it our best shot. They derive satisfaction by giving in their 100% each time in everything they do.

 ??Empathy. Our ability to empathize with others is a huge strength that sets up apart from others and helps us understand and appreciate the many different point of views. When we approach the situation from an empathetic angle, we realize all the different possibilities of a given scenario in question and sheds a new light on the entire event or a happening. Empathy also helps keep our ego in check by remembering and believing that all contributors have positive intent and that there could be more than one way to look at things.

 Opinions when provided in a constructive manner help with the three aspects below

• Growth. When we hear varying opinions on a certain topic, we learn about the new possibilities that we don’t think exists or are achievable. That’s personal growth. Many times, combined opinions of key elements of the society, help bring about a change or reform as well. Like-minded people, whose opinions on a certain issue match, join forces to turn their vision into a reality. That’s the growth of a society at large
• Gain Perspective. We tend to learn a lot from the people around us. It is said that a collective mind is much smarter and powerful than an individual mind. Rightfully so. In a collective setting, where people share the same vision and have opinions on execution or tactics on how to get there, it opens up a dialogue and encourages creative thinking that makes the process enjoyable. This mental and cultural diversity helps widen our perspective and opens our mind to new avenues and possibilities.
• Become a team player. It takes a lot of humility to hear opinions about our work or actions done with great intent in mind and to the best of our ability. Constructive opinions encourage us to think differently, to accept ideas and perspectives shared by others in the group and work with their vision or plan of action. Often times, opinions help us change part of our process and enhance it for the better. This enables us to work with each other’s strengths in a group setting and join forces to bring ideas to fruition.

 Net, we all have opinions and make judgments frequently on people, society and its various issues. Let’s remember, no one is entitled to our opinions just as we aren’t entitled to theirs. No one ‘needs’ to fit in our criteria, just as much as we don’t need to fit in theirs. Take opinions with a grain of salt, feedback a bit seriously and your self-awareness very seriously. We can only grow and become a bigger, better person by being fully aware of where we stand today. Let’s take the journey inwards first to grow outwards – ‘Go inwards to grow outwards’.

Well, all of the above are my opinions, so use your discretion and make this a life worth living – the way you deem appropriate, on your terms, no opinions attached – for we get only one life and it’s too precious to be wasted on bothering about other people’s opinions, for that’s what they are at the end of the day – opinions and not facts! :-)