Our Opinion

It is not often when someone asks my opinion, but when they do, I’m delighted. I liken it to accepting an invitation to step a little deeper into my relationship with them. I do not take it lightly and tread softly on what I consider to be new territory between us. 

In recent months, three different people; a family member, a friend and a peer, asked me to share my point of view with them. Though each person had a different concern; health related, a knot in a relationship, and how to grow professionally, similar principles applied to all three people and their cares.

First of all, it doesn’t matter if I’ve been asked to give an appraisal or I’m asking for someone else’s point of view, there must be a sense of mutual trust between us. 

What is it about this individual that causes us to make ourselves vulnerable to them? Being asked to share our conception of something, is after all, sharing a part of ourselves and there is a risk in being misunderstood. 

My friend, who asked me for counsel about a particular relationship, asked because first of all she is brave and secondly, she wanted an honest answer. 

In our long history together, she knows she can count on me to tell her the truth about what I see from my perspective. Even with tact and decorum though listening to someone else’s view of ourselves can be hard to hear. Those we trust the most are the ones who get to answer our hardest and most personal questions.

Secondly, when someone asks us to share our idea of a situation, doing so with humility is always a good idea. 

When my coworker, who is very intelligent, asked me for my opinion about her idea for a presentation, it did not give me any reason to be pompous. On the contrary, I was humbled. She wanted me to assess her idea? My coworker saw me as an equal which in and of itself, was complimentary. I did not let this go to my head. It only added to my respect for her.  

Finally, how we present ourselves to the world counts. We don’t want to be one of those folks who say; “Do as I say and not as I do.” 

When a  family member approached me about their health issue, they did so because they know that maintaining my health is important to me. My opinion is worth something to them because they can see that it lines up with how I live. 

There are zillions of opinions, but to be asked for mine is special. 

Why Bother?

Why bother wanting to share our opinion? It may not be often that we get the opportunity to share our way of thinking, but when we do, we can speak truthfully, with humility and treasure the results of how it deepens a relationship.

P.S.  I wrote the story of my journey to forgiveness for those who need clarity when it comes to understanding forgiveness. You can find A Heart’s Journey To Forgiveness at Redemption Press and Amazon.