According to the Oxford dictionary, an opinion is defined as a view or judgement formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge. It can also be defined as a belief or judgement that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty.
What jumps out to me in both definitions is the reference to the fact that opinions are not necessarily based on certainty, facts or knowledge but yet, we find that sometimes, we live our lives locked in the prison of other people’s views about us or something we want to do. Every action we intend to take is preceded by a bunch of questions:
- How will this look?
- What will people have to say about it?
- Will they approve?
- Will the comments be positive or negative?
- Will people like me or hate me for this?
- Will they still view me the same way?
And the list goes on…At the end of the day, we find out that we are living our lives based on what others want us to do, and what they expect from us as opposed to what we really want to do and how we really feel.
We are trapped in our own bodies but in the minds of other people.
We have become prisoners of our external environment; we are receivers and not people who shape. Our inner existence is being dictated by the outside world and what it expects from us. We have lost our freedom; we have lost our right to be free! We have lost ourselves to the opinions of others.
We need to learn to be free again, to celebrate our strengths and weakness, to celebrate our loveliness and our awkwardness, to celebrate who we are and who we are trying to be by accepting our current form on the way to who we want to be.
To be really free is to rid ourselves of the chains that have long-held us back and be who we really are without giving it too much thought.
Live life and be you!
Merry Christmas!!!